Botswana Minute.
Friday, 16 October 2026
Botswana’s news, on the hour · Est. 2026
Friday, 16 October 2026
Gaborone—:—London—:—New York—:—Beijing—:—
Botswanan press · Person

Sesupo Rantsimako

2026-04-252026-10-16

In coverage

Verbatim sentences from the source article.

  1. September 2026
  2. The Botswana Gazette

    … SESUPO RANTSIMAKO The Manual Workers Union is demanding documentary proof that businessman Zunaid Moti’s recently opened school and clinic project in Gaborone has undergone government scrutiny, saying statutory safeguards…

    Union Demands Proof of Moti Vetting
  3. The Botswana Gazette

    … SESUPO RANTSIMAKO The Botswana Combi and Taxi Association (BOCTA) says the planned introduction of electric buses in Gaborone could undermine the livelihoods of thousands of people who depend on the existing public…

    Combis Fight Electric Bus Plan
  4. The Botswana Gazette

    … SESUPO RANTSIMAKO The Manual Workers Union has accused the Directorate of Public Service Management (DPSM) of centralising recruitment for gardeners and cleaners in a move it alleges could…

    Union Alleges UDC Job Patronage
  5. The Botswana Gazette

    … SESUPO RANTSIMAKO The Public Accounts Committee (PAC) is considering summoning Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Finance Tshokologo Alex Kganetsano to explain how businessman Zunaid Moti’s investment proposal with…

    PAC Eyes Moti Deal Probe
  6. The Botswana Gazette

    … SESUPO RANTSIMAKO The Directorate on Corruption and Economic Crime (DCEC) has moved to play down the sharp rise in reported corruption allegations, saying the growing number of reports does not automatically mean corruption itself is increasing in…

    DCEC Downplays Corruption Report Surge
  7. The Botswana Gazette

    … SESUPO RANTSIMAKO Government and public sector unions have hit another deadlock over local per diem, with the Directorate of Public Service Management (DPSM) rejecting the unions’ preferred arrangement and pushing for tighter controls on…

    Per Diem Talks Collapse Again
  8. August 2026
  9. The Botswana Gazette

    … SESUPO RANTSIMAKO The UDC government’s flagship promise to provide free sanitary pads to female learners is facing a major implementation test, with supply interruptions threatening to undermine…

    Free Pads Hit Supply Gaps
  10. The Botswana Gazette

    … SESUPO RANTSIMAKO The impending implementation of Botswana’s new Employment and Labour Relations Act is set to reshape the private security industry, with companies warning that changes to working hours could disrupt operations…

    Security Firms Brace For Labour Act
  11. The Botswana Gazette

    … SESUPO RANTSIMAKO The Government has warned Batswana living and travelling abroad to respect the immigration laws of host countries, saying individual violations could undermine Botswana’s international reputation and jeopardise opportunities enjoyed by…

    Visa Abuse Threatens Botswana Goodwill
  12. The Botswana Gazette

    … SESUPO RANTSIMAKO Botswana has been here before: a child disappears, answers do not come quickly enough, frustration hardens into suspicion, and into the vacuum step traditional practitioners, spiritual…

    WHEN OLD FEARS RETURN

Yesterday

  1. UDC remains unclear on electronic voting machine position

    The Umbrella for Democratic Change has not yet settled its stance on Electronic Voting Machines despite previously opposing them, while the Manual Workers Union is calling for their removal from electoral reform proposals.

    19 hours ago · The Botswana Gazette →

Thursday 8 October

  1. BCP questions Boko's reported DIS chief contract extension

    The Botswana Congress Party has questioned President Duma Boko's reported decision to extend Directorate of Intelligence and Security Director General Brigadier (Rtd) Peter Magosi's contract, noting tension with the UDC's previous calls for intelligence reform.

    8 October 2026 · The Botswana Gazette →

  2. Six public-sector unions seek allowances consolidated into basic pay

    Six public-sector unions are proposing a systematic review of government allowances, with possible consolidation into employees' basic salaries as part of a broader overhaul of the public service remuneration system.

    8 October 2026 · The Botswana Gazette →

  3. BOFEPUSU seeks ILO intervention over government relations

    The Botswana Federation of Public, Private and Parastatal Sector Unions (BOFEPUSU) is seeking intervention from the International Labour Organization over deteriorating relations with government that threaten consultation and collective bargaining in the public service.

    8 October 2026 · The Botswana Gazette →

Wednesday 7 October

  1. BCP questions UDC government's commitment to freedom of expression

    The Botswana Congress Party has criticised the UDC government over the arrest and interrogation by the Criminal Investigation Department of its activists Obakeng Sethibe and Rachel Tlharesagae over Facebook comments, saying it casts doubt on the government's commitment to freedom of expression.

    7 October 2026 · The Botswana Gazette →

Tuesday 29 September

  1. Conservationist criticizes elephant slaughter for Independence feast

    The government has allocated 25 elephants for slaughter during Botswana's Independence celebrations, sparking criticism from the Elephant Protection Society chairman, who warns the move risks weakening anti-poaching messaging and Botswana's global conservation standing.

    29 September 2026 · The Botswana Gazette →

Sunday 27 September

  1. BDP leader Balopi urges supporters to stay out of criminal case

    BDP president Mpho Balopi has welcomed political support from party members but urged them not to involve themselves directly in his CEDA-linked criminal case.

    27 September 2026 · The Botswana Gazette →

Saturday 26 September

  1. New liquidation law prioritizes employee claims over other creditors

    The government has introduced a new liquidation framework that places employees ahead of other creditors, a reform prompted by the long-running difficulties faced by former BCL and Tati Nickel workers.

    26 September 2026 · The Botswana Gazette →

Wednesday 23 September

  1. Proposed law allows permanent confiscation of stray livestock

    Proposed legislation would give the Department of Veterinary Services power to permanently confiscate livestock that stray into areas restricted under Foot and Mouth Disease control measures.

    23 September 2026 · The Botswana Gazette →

  2. Ageing machinery delays ID card production, 40,000 backlog

    About 40,000 identity cards are stuck in government's production backlog due to ageing equipment, limited capacity, and delays in procuring new machinery.

    23 September 2026 · The Botswana Gazette →

Wednesday 16 September

  1. Manual Workers Union demands vetting records for Moti project

    The Manual Workers Union is demanding documentary proof that businessman Zunaid Moti's recently opened school and clinic project in Gaborone has undergone government scrutiny, and seeking clarity on whether the government will ultimately pay for it.

    16 September 2026 · The Botswana Gazette →

Monday 14 September

  1. BOCTA warns electric bus pilot risks displacing combi operators

    The Botswana Combi and Taxi Association warns that the proposed TANA electric bus pilot in Gaborone could displace workers and reduce government revenue unless existing operators are integrated into the transition.

    14 September 2026 · The Botswana Gazette →

Wednesday 9 September

  1. Manual Workers Union alleges political patronage in recruitment

    The Manual Workers Union alleges that centralising recruitment for 367 gardener and cleaner posts could be intended to reward UDC activists, a claim the Directorate of Public Service Management has not answered.

    9 September 2026 · The Botswana Gazette →

  2. PAC considers summoning Finance Ministry PS over Moti proposal

    The Public Accounts Committee is considering whether to summon the Finance Ministry's Permanent Secretary to explain the revival of businessman Zunaid Moti's investment proposal, which had previously been rejected on cost grounds.

    9 September 2026 · The Botswana Gazette →

Thursday 3 September

  1. DCEC cautions rise in reports doesn't mean more corruption

    The Directorate on Corruption and Economic Crime has cautioned against equating a rise in corruption reports with an increase in corruption itself, saying the growing number of reports does not automatically mean corruption is increasing.

    3 September 2026 · The Botswana Gazette →

  2. Government and unions deadlock on local per diem rates

    Government and public sector unions have reached another deadlock over local per diem, with the Directorate of Public Service Management rejecting the unions' preferred P800 arrangement.

    3 September 2026 · The Botswana Gazette →

Wednesday 26 August

  1. Free pads programme reaches 80,498 girls amid supply gaps

    Government reports its free sanitary pads programme has reached 80,498 girls nationwide, but supply interruptions threaten the scheme's reliability as a public service.

    26 August 2026 · The Botswana Gazette →

  2. Security firms warn new labour act could raise staffing costs

    Botswana's new Employment and Labour Relations Act is set to reshape the private security industry, with companies warning that changes to working hours could disrupt operations and raise staffing costs, while workers welcome the reform but fault Government for inadequate consultation.

    26 August 2026 · The Botswana Gazette →

  3. Government warns Batswana of visa violation consequences abroad

    The Government has warned Batswana living and travelling abroad to respect host countries' immigration laws, cautioning that individual violations could undermine Botswana's international reputation and jeopardise opportunities enjoyed by citizens.

    26 August 2026 · The Botswana Gazette →

  4. Parliament's missing-person motion revives spiritual belief anxieties

    A missing-person motion in Parliament has forced Botswana to confront tensions between spiritual belief, public desperation, and evidence-based policing, revisiting an old national anxiety that emerges when child disappearances lack swift answers.

    26 August 2026 · The Botswana Gazette →

Wednesday 19 August

  1. Court halts Government per diem implementation pending union talks

    The Lobatse High Court has blocked Government's revised local per diem arrangement scheduled for 1 September 2026, ordering fresh consultations with six public-sector unions before any final decision.

    19 August 2026 · The Botswana Gazette →

Thursday 13 August

  1. Forensic audit on alleged corruption withheld from law enforcement

    Months after President Duma Boko received a forensic audit covering a decade of alleged corruption, key law-enforcement agencies say they have not seen the report or acted on its findings.

    13 August 2026 · The Botswana Gazette →

Wednesday 12 August

  1. Boko's adviser hasn't reviewed forensic audit report yet

    President Duma Boko's governance adviser Motlatsi Molapisi says he has not yet seen the forensic audit report, months after it was delivered to the President, and cannot comment on its findings.

    12 August 2026 · The Botswana Gazette →

  2. President Boko blames Botswana Railways board for partnership delays

    President Duma Boko has blamed Botswana Railways' former board for frustrating a private-sector partnership he says could have helped return the loss-making parastatal to profitability.

    12 August 2026 · The Botswana Gazette →

Sunday 9 August

  1. UDC retains floor-crossing law despite opposition in opposition

    The UDC government has made no immediate plans to repeal the floor-crossing constitutional amendment, despite having fiercely opposed it while in opposition.

    9 August 2026 · The Botswana Gazette →

  2. Opposition accuses UDC of delaying party funding law implementation

    Opposition parties have accused the UDC government of lacking commitment to political party funding, arguing that the administration is using financial constraints to delay implementing a law passed by Parliament in 2024.

    9 August 2026 · The Botswana Gazette →

Saturday 8 August

  1. Public-sector condom shortage threatens Botswana's HIV prevention

    Procurement failures have depleted public-sector condom supplies in Botswana, with the National AIDS and Health Promotion Agency warning that the shortage could expose the public to increased risk of new HIV infections.

    8 August 2026 · The Botswana Gazette →

  2. BPP suspends Francistown West MP over presidency bid

    Francistown West MP Ignatius Moswaane has been suspended from the Botswana People's Party after formally declaring his intention to contest the party presidency ahead of its forthcoming elective conference.

    8 August 2026 · The Botswana Gazette →

Monday 3 August

  1. Mining regulator approves BCL closure works before license surrender

    The regulator has confirmed that all major safe closure works at BCL Mine have been completed, moving the liquidation process toward conclusion and allowing the liquidator to surrender the company's mining license.

    3 August 2026 · The Botswana Gazette →

  2. Teachers' unions reject motion to reintroduce corporal punishment

    Teachers' unions BOSETU and BTU have rejected a motion by Molepolole North MP Arafat Khan to reinstate corporal punishment in schools as a regulated disciplinary measure, warning of legal risks. Corporal punishment was abolished in 2018.

    3 August 2026 · The Botswana Gazette →

Sesupo Rantsimako — Botswanan press coverage · Botswana Minute