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| Identifier | Subject | Date | Office | Classification | Tags |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 00GABORONE5064 |
STRENGTHENING MULTIPARTY DEMPOCRACY IN SOUTHERN [...] IN THE PAST YEAR SOUTHERN AFRICA HAS WITNESSED A SERIES OF ELECTIONS. SOME, SUCH AS THOSE IN MOZAMBIQUE, ZIMBABWE, AND TANZANIA, HAVE BEEN HOTLY CONTESTED IN SOME AREAS, WITH QUESTIONS RAISED AS TO THE INTEGRITY OF THE ELECTORAL PROCESS. OTHERS, SUCH AS THOSE IN BOTSWANA, NAMIBIA, AND MAURI [...] |
2000-11-09 12:53:00 | Embassy Gaborone | UNCLASSIFIED | SADC EAID KDEM PGOV PHUM |
| 00GABORONE5265 |
BREAKTHROUGH FOR SADC ON REFORMING POLITICAL [...] (C) SADC FOREIGN AND DEFENSE MINISTERS HAVE REACHED CONSENSUS ON REFORMING THE LONG-MORIBUND SADC ORGAN ON POLITICS, DEFENSE AND SECURITY, FM MERAFHE TOLD US. THE ORGAN HAS BEEN LARGELY DYSFUNCTIONAL SINCE ITS CREATION IN 1996, DUE TO A DISPUTE OVER LINES OF AUTHORITY BETWEEN IT AND SADC PRO [...] |
2000-11-24 16:02:00 | Embassy Gaborone | CONFIDENTIAL | SADC PREL MARR MCAP ZU |
| 01GABORONE3103 |
CONDOLENCE MESSAGE FROM BOTSWANA PRESIDENT [...] No summary [...] |
2001-09-12 11:29:00 | Embassy Gaborone | UNCLASSIFIED | OPDC PREL BC |
| 01GABORONE3343 |
TFUS01: GOB SUPPORTS COALITION STRIKES AGAINST [...] (C) SUMMARY: PUBLIC AND PRIVATE STATEMENTS BY THE GOB TO DATE HAVE BEEN FULLY SUPPORTIVE OF USG ACTIONS AGAINST TALIBAN MILITARY TARGETS. IN A 10/11 MEETING WITH THE AMBASSADOR, MFA PERMANENT SECRETARY ERNEST MPOFU DEFENDED A MORE CAUTIOUS APPROACH IN ORDER TO AVOID EXTREMIST RETALIATION [...] |
2001-10-12 08:24:00 | Embassy Gaborone | CONFIDENTIAL | PREL PTER BC |
| 01GABORONE3355 |
MANY BATSWANA SOMEWHAT DUBIOUS ABOUT U.S. [...] SUMMARY: ENERGETIC OUTREACH EFFORTS BY THE AMBASSADOR AND MISSION STAFF REVEAL THAT INITIAL SYMPATHY FOR THE U.S. POST-SEPTEMBER 11 HAS ERODED WITH RECENT AIRSTRIKES AGAINST THE TALIBAN. BATSWANA QUESTION U.S. FOREIGN POLICIES; COMPARE THE ASCETIC IMAGE OF OSAMA BIN LADEN WITH THE ARRAY OF [...] |
2001-10-15 07:50:00 | Embassy Gaborone | UNCLASSIFIED | PREL PTER BC |
| 01GABORONE3435 |
TFUS01: BOTSWANA MUSLIM ATTITUDES [...] (C) POST HAS ACTIVELY SOUGHT OUT MEMBERS OF THE MUSLIM COMMUNITY IN BOTSWANA TO GAUGE ATTITUDES TOWARDS U.S. ACTIONS IN COMBATING TERRORISM FOLLOWING THE SEPTEMBER 11 ATTACKS AND FOLLOWING COMMENCEMENT OF MILITARY ACTION IN AFGHANISTAN (REFS B, C). MUSLIM COMMUNITY LEADERS HAVE DELAYED MEETI [...] |
2001-10-22 16:00:00 | Embassy Gaborone | CONFIDENTIAL | PINR PTER BC |
| 01GABORONE3514 |
A GRASS-ROOTS LOOK AT HIV/AIDS IN BOTSWANA [...] DURING OUR RECENT TRAVELS UPCOUNTRY, THE AMBASSADOR AND EMBASSY STAFF LOOKED AT COMMUNITY-BASED ACTIVITIES IN THE FIGHT AGAINST HIV/AIDS AND INTERAGENCY USG SUPPORT FOR THOSE EFFORTS. IT WAS A SOBERING EXPERIENCE THAT EMPHASIZED THE DEBILITATING SOCIAL EFFECTS OF THE DISEASE. SELEBI-PHIKW [...] |
2001-11-01 05:42:00 | Embassy Gaborone | UNCLASSIFIED | KHIV EAID SOCI MASS PHUM BBG BC |
| 01GABORONE3517 |
BOTSWANA: TREASURY DEPARTMENT REQUEST FOR [...] THE GOB HAS TAKEN SIGNIFICANT STEPS TO ENSURE THAT ITS FINANCIAL SYSTEM DOES NOT BECOME A HAVEN FOR ILLEGAL FINANCIAL TRANSACTIONS, WHETHER MONEY LAUNDERING, DRUG TRAFFICKING, OR TERRORIST FINANCING. WHILE WE STILL HAVE CONCERNS ABOUT VARYING LEVELS OF IMPLEMENTATION BY THE DIFFERENT AGENCIE [...] |
2001-11-01 13:56:00 | Embassy Gaborone | UNCLASSIFIED | ETTC EFIN PREL PTER BC |
| 01GABORONE3732 |
MOGAE ON MUGABE: HE WILL STAY IN POWER "BY [...] (C) PRESIDENT FESTUS MOGAE (PROTECT) BELIEVES THERE IS NO CHANCE TO INFLUENCE ZIMBABWEAN PRESIDENT ROBERT MUGABE TO HOLD FREE AND FAIR ELECTIONS BY MARCH. HE SAID MUGABE IS ACTING LIKE A "WOUNDED BUFFALO" AND IT WOULD BE BETTER TO HAVE THE ELECTIONS SOONER RATHER THAN LATER TO LESSEN THE HARM [...] |
2001-12-03 11:37:00 | Embassy Gaborone | CONFIDENTIAL | PREL PGOV BC ZI |
| 04GABORONE2017 |
REGIONAL CONFERENCE DELIBERATES ENHANCED [...] (C> SUMMARY: Victory in the war on terrorism requires a multilateral approach, an appreciation of the "root causes" of terrorism, and a response that engages rather than alienates communities, President Mogae told a November 22-24 conference on terrorism in southern Africa. Despite Mogae's p [...] |
2004-12-09 11:35:00 | Embassy Gaborone | CONFIDENTIAL | PREL PTER BC |
| 04GABORONE2026 |
HIGH COURTCASE DEVELOPMENTS: FIRST PEOPLE OF THE [...] (C) SUMMARY: First People of the Kalahari's (FPK) High Court case against the Government of Botswana made slow progress during the month of November. Developments outside the court room, including the FPK leader Roy Sesana's trip to the U.S. and U.K., the increasing involvement of Survival [...] |
2004-12-10 11:03:00 | Embassy Gaborone | CONFIDENTIAL | PREL PGOV BC SAN CKGR |
| 04GABORONE2027 |
DOMESTIC CONCERN OVER ZIMBABWE SIMMERS [...] (C) SUMMARY: The perception of adverse impact on Botswana of the situation in neighboring Zimbabwe is steadily growing. Debate over what the Government should do to mitigate the costs to the country continues to simmer. During National Assembly debates following President Mogae's November 8 [...] |
2004-12-10 11:12:00 | Embassy Gaborone | CONFIDENTIAL | PREL PGOV BC |
| 05GABORONE1002 |
SAN DISPUTE ALLEGED LINK BETWEEN DIAMONDS AND [...] (U) SUMMARY: The Working Group on Indigenous Minorities in Southern Africa (WIMSA), which represents San communities in Botswana, South Africa, Namibia and Angola, has spurned the argument that plans to mine diamonds prompted relocations from the Central Kalahari Game Reserve(CKGR). WIMSA as [...] |
2005-07-14 11:58:00 | Embassy Gaborone | UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY | PGOV PHUM BC SAN CKGR |
| 05GABORONE1015 |
GOB PLANS TO COMBAT SMALL ARMS PROLIFERATION [...] SUMMARY: The Government of Botswana has adopted a three- year national action plan to combat proliferation of small arms but intends to approach G-8 nations, and specifically the United States, to request financial assistance to meet its USD 2 million budget. Subsequent to its participation [...] |
2005-07-20 10:54:00 | Embassy Gaborone | UNCLASSIFIED | PGOV PARM KCRM BC POL MIL |
| 05GABORONE1019 |
POSSIBLE FOREIGN POLICY IMPLICATIONS OF A KHAMA [...] (C) SUMMARY: According to Acting Director for Multilateral Affairs Mr. Pulaente Kenosi at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, the GOB could be on the cusp of re-evaluating some of the tenets of its foreign policy. This is prompted in part by world events but also [...] |
2005-07-21 15:17:00 | Embassy Gaborone | CONFIDENTIAL | PREL PHUM BC UNGA |
| 05GABORONE1026 |
AMBASSADOR'S FAREWELL CALLS WITH BOTSWANA [...] (SBU) Summary. In his farewell calls with Botswana's President Festus Mogae and Vice President Seretse Khama Ian Khama July 21, Ambassador Huggins highlighted promoting Botwsana business and human rights, specifically the Kenneth Good and Basarwa issues. The President and VP thanked the Amb [...] |
2005-07-22 14:30:00 | Embassy Gaborone | UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY | PREL PHUM ETRD US BC SAN CKGR |
| 05GABORONE1027 |
BOTSWANA VP KHAMA CONCERNED ABOUT MISPERCEPTIONS [...] (C) During his farewell call on Botswana Vice President Lt. General Seretse Khama Ian Khama July 21 (Ref A), the Ambassador urged Khama to address a widespread perception among the public that once he becomes President, Khama might curtail Botswana's freedoms (Refs B and C). Khama replied th [...] |
2005-07-22 14:33:00 | Embassy Gaborone | CONFIDENTIAL | PGOV BC |
| 05GABORONE1039 |
RULING PARTY STILL MIRED IN FACTIONAL FIGHTING [...] (SBU) Summary: The ruling Botswana Democratic Party (BDP) went to its bi-annual national congress internally divided and emerged from the event equally, if not further, mired in factional fights over personalities and positions of influence. Vice President Khama's supposedly neutral effort [...] |
2005-07-27 11:25:00 | Embassy Gaborone | UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY | PGOV BC |
| 05GABORONE1040 |
OPPOSITION PARTIES INCH TOWARD COOPERATION [...] SUMMARY: Botswana's two largest opposition parties, the Botswana National Front (BNF) and the Botswana Congress Party (BCP), intend to cooperate to oust the ruling Botswana Democratic Party (BDP) in the next election. Although they pledged to pursue this strategy at their national congresses [...] |
2005-07-27 11:48:00 | Embassy Gaborone | UNCLASSIFIED | PGOV BC |
| 05GABORONE1045 |
COURT DISMISSES DEPORTED PROF'S APPEAL [...] (U) Botswana's Court of Appeal dismissed on July 27 the case of Australian citizen and former University of Botswana Professor Kenneth Good who was declared a prohibited immigrant on February 18, 2005. President Mogae decided to deport Good on the grounds that he posed a threat to national se [...] |
2005-07-29 06:20:00 | Embassy Gaborone | UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY | PHUM PGOV BC |
| 05GABORONE1046 |
SAN ALLEGE TORTURE BY WILDLIFE OFFICIALS [...] SUMMARY: Five residents of Kaudwane, one of the villages to which residents of the Central Kalahari Game Reserve (CKGR) were relocated, have alleged that Department of Wildlife and National Parks officials tortured them earlier this year. Although the GOB has denied these allegations, PolOf [...] |
2005-07-29 06:21:00 | Embassy Gaborone | UNCLASSIFIED | PHUM PGOV BC SAN CKGR |
| 05GABORONE1092 |
BOTSWANA CSOs CONDEMN MUGABE'S ABUSES [...] SUMMARY: Civil society organizations in Botswana are looking for ways to support the struggle against despotism in Zimbabwe. At a half-day workshop on human rights abuses in Zimbabwe, representatives of churches, political parties and NGOs condemned the Mugabe regime's atrocities and asked [...] |
2005-08-05 08:55:00 | Embassy Gaborone | UNCLASSIFIED | PHUM PREL ZI BC SADC |
| 05GABORONE1099 |
SADC AND GOB PREPARE FOR AUGUST 17 SUMMIT [...] SUMMARY: Botswana will begin its tenure as chair of the Southern African Development Community (SADC) at the August 17-18 regional Summit in Gaborone. Not surprisingly, the humanitarian crisis in Zimbabwe did not feature in the joint briefing for Heads of Missions conducted by the SADC Secr [...] |
2005-08-08 14:47:00 | Embassy Gaborone | UNCLASSIFIED | PREL ECON ZU MA ZI BC SADC |
| 05GABORONE1100 |
CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENT ON TRIBAL NEUTRALITY PASSES [...] Botswana's National Assembly passed a Constitutional Amendment Bill intended to make the Constitution more tribally neutral by reforming the largely symbolic House of Chiefs (reftel) on August 2. The Ntlo ya Dikgosi -- Setswana for House of Chiefs - as it was renamed in the Amendment, provide [...] |
2005-08-08 14:50:00 | Embassy Gaborone | UNCLASSIFIED | PHUM PGOV BC |
| 05GABORONE1113 |
BOTSWANA'S ECONOMIC SLOWDOWN FUELS POVERTY [...] Summary. Botswana's "middle income status" masks its rising poverty and unemployment that could impact future political stability. The economy is declining, with real GDP growth expected to be a sluggish 2.3 percent in 2005. While the central government's official statistics put the unemp [...] |
2005-08-11 06:05:00 | Embassy Gaborone | UNCLASSIFIED | ECON EAID EFIN ELAB BC |
| 05GABORONE1165 |
PRIVATIZATION PROGRESSING SLOWLY [...] SUMMARY. Privatization in Botswana is moving in the right direction - slowly. Mr. Joshua Galeforolwe, CEO of the Public Enterprise Evaluation and Privatization Agency (PEEPA), described to Charge and Emboffs the political, institutional, and economic challenges facing the privatization move [...] |
2005-08-16 11:44:00 | Embassy Gaborone | UNCLASSIFIED | ECON EINV PGOV BTIO BC |
| 05GABORONE1179 |
BOTSWANA UPDATE ON CHILD LABOR [...] SUMMARY. No reliable data exists to demonstrate that child labor is a significant problem in Botswana, although some social workers and child welfare activists fear that it might not be uncommon. The Government of Botswana and ILO initiated projects in the year since August 2004 that will a [...] |
2005-08-18 16:00:00 | Embassy Gaborone | UNCLASSIFIED | ELAB EIND PHUM ETRD SOCI BC |
| 05GABORONE1180 |
POVERTY AND INADEQUATE INFRASTRUCTURE HAMPER [...] Summary: The Government of Botswana has made significant headway since independence in achieving its goal of providing universal education to its people, but inadequate infrastructure and poverty impede further progress. High rates of poverty and unemployment (reftel), particularly in rural [...] |
2005-08-18 16:15:00 | Embassy Gaborone | UNCLASSIFIED | SCUL ECON ELAB EAID PREL BC |
| 05GABORONE1203 |
SADC SUMMIT KEEPS STUDIED SILENCE ON ZIMBABWE [...] (U) SUMMARY: The "Silver Jubilee" Southern African Development Community (SADC) Summit held in Gaborone August 17-18 tackled no thorny issues. Incoming SADC Chair, Botswana President Festus Mogae, urged concrete steps to make SADC effective. The regional leaders did not speak out on Zimbabw [...] |
2005-08-23 13:16:00 | Embassy Gaborone | CONFIDENTIAL | PHUM PREL PGOV ETRD RW WZ ZI ZU BC SADC |
| 05GABORONE1212 |
Poverty's Impact on the Spread of HIV/AIDS in [...] Summary: The poor remain the hardest hit by the scourge of HIV/AIDS in Botswana. It is commonly accepted that since HIV/AIDS impacts the most productive members of society, there will be a concomitant reduction in economic growth (ref A), and potentially an increase in the number of people l [...] |
2005-08-25 14:38:00 | Embassy Gaborone | UNCLASSIFIED | ECON PREL EAID KHIV BC HIV AIDS |
| 05GABORONE1224 |
MFA AND OFFICE OF THE PRESIDENT SHUFFLE SENIOR [...] (C) SUMMARY: The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation is in the midst of rotating several of its senior officers into new positions. This movement will bring new incumbents to the offices of the Permanent Secretary, Deputy Permanent Secretary, and Director for Multilate [...] |
2005-08-26 10:34:00 | Embassy Gaborone | CONFIDENTIAL | PINR PGOV BC |
| 05GABORONE1228 |
SLOW PROGRESS IN CKGR COURT CASE, FPK OUT OF FUNDS [...] (SBU) SUMMARY: Hearings in the First People of the Kalahari's (FPK) legal challenge of the GOB's policy of relocating San and other minorities out of the Central Kalahari Game Reserve (CKGR) resumed on August 8. With the case dragging, FPK appears to be on the brink of another financial cris [...] |
2005-08-29 08:20:00 | Embassy Gaborone | UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY | PHUM PGOV BC SAN CKGR |
| 05GABORONE1268 |
HIGH COURT JAILS LEGAL ADVISOR TO PRESIDENT [...] (U) In a dramatic turn of events, Botswana's High Court jailed for contempt the Special Advisor to the President Sidney Pilane, who is the State's lead counsel in the court case challenging its policy of relocating San and other minorities out of the Central Kalahari Game Reserve. During hea [...] |
2005-09-07 12:12:00 | Embassy Gaborone | UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY | PHUM PGOV BC SAN CKGR |
| 05GABORONE1281 |
STUDY SEES BDP'S FUTURE IN VICE PRESIDENT KHAMA [...] (C) SUMMARY: A recent needs assessment conducted for the ruling Botswana Democratic Party (BDP) is likely to reinforce Vice President Khama's perceived importance to the future of the Party. The study, passed to us by a senior GOB official, found that the BDP's popularity had declined due t [...] |
2005-09-09 05:54:00 | Embassy Gaborone | CONFIDENTIAL | PREL PGOV BC |
| 05GABORONE1426 |
TENSIONS HIGH BETWEEN GOB AND FIRST PEOPLE OF THE [...] (SBU) SUMMARY: Tensions between the GOB and the First People of the Kalahari (FPK) have reached a new high with the arrest of 21 individuals trying to force entry through a closed gate into the Central Kalahari Game Reserve (CKGR) on September 24. Government officials reportedly had followed [...] |
2005-10-04 15:13:00 | Embassy Gaborone | UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY | PHUM PGOV BC SAN CKGR |
| 05GABORONE1444 |
CHINA WOOS BOTSWANA THROUGH EXCHANGE VISITS, [...] (SBU) SUMMARY: China uses exchanges, assistance and trade as three primary tools to strengthen its ties with Botswana. According to the Director for Asia and Africa Mr. Manyepedza Lesetedi in the MFA, nearly two-dozen GOB officials traveled to China this year to participate in short courses [...] |
2005-10-06 15:31:00 | Embassy Gaborone | UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY | PREL PGOV CH BC |
| 05GABORONE1454 |
BOTSWANA ANNUAL AGOA ELIGIBILITY UPDATE [...] Post recommends renewal of Botswana's AGOA eligibility status based on its continued compliance with the stipulated criteria. As described below, during the year, Botswana took steps to strengthen its private sector, improve its capacity to combat the financing of terrorism, and prevent child [...] |
2005-10-07 14:26:00 | Embassy Gaborone | UNCLASSIFIED | ETRD ECON BC AGOA |
| 05GABORONE1539 |
BYE-ELECTION VICTORIES HEARTEN OPPOSITION [...] (U) SUMMARY: Botswana's opposition parties scored a victory by combining forces to win a parliamentary seat and a local council seat in an October 15 bye-election. The President of Botswana's largest opposition party, the Botswana National Front (BNF), Mr. Otsweletse Moupo bested wealthy ph [...] |
2005-10-21 10:26:00 | Embassy Gaborone | UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY | PGOV PHUM BC |
| 05GABORONE154 |
CHALLENGES FACING BOTSWANA'S MEDIA [...] (U) SUMMARY: While Botswana enjoys a relatively free press, public and privately-owned media face a number of challenges. State-owned outlets, the primary source of news for most Batswana, generally feature uncritical reporting on the government and are susceptible to political interference [...] |
2005-02-02 05:14:00 | Embassy Gaborone | UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY | PGOV PHUM BC |
| 05GABORONE1577 |
STUDENTS TO PAY FOR SECONDARY SCHOOL [...] (U) SUMMARY: As of January 2006, students will pay to attend secondary schools and technical colleges in Botswana. The Government decided to re-introduce school fees in response to growing budgetary constraints. Despite Government assurances that no child will be turned away for lack of mon [...] |
2005-10-28 11:05:00 | Embassy Gaborone | UNCLASSIFIED | PGOV PHUM BC |
| 05GABORONE1605 |
BOTSWANA LABOR FEDERATION FACING UPHILL STRUGGLE [...] (U) SUMMARY: The Botswana Federation of Trade Unions has appealed to the ILO over a dispute between the Botswana Mine Workers Union and Debswana following a contentious strike last year. BMWU, plagued by internal divisions some attribute to management meddling, is fast running out of funds [...] |
2005-11-03 12:33:00 | Embassy Gaborone | UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY | ELAB PGOV PHUM BC |
| 05GABORONE162 |
UPDATE ON CKGR RELOCATION COURT CASE [...] (U) Summary: Hearings in the court case involving the First People of the Kalahari (FPK) vs. the Government of Botswana got off to a slow start in mid-January. Meanwhile, political and budgetary considerations have delayed proposals to improve the Remote Area Development Program (RADP). The [...] |
2005-02-02 12:40:00 | Embassy Gaborone | CONFIDENTIAL | PREL PGOV PHUM BC SAN CKGR |
| 05GABORONE1655 |
BOTSWANA CONTINUES TO COMBAT CORRUPTION [...] (SBU) SUMMARY: Botswana continues to enjoy the lowest incidence of corruption in Africa as perceived by international and local observers. Nonetheless, a rash of recent allegations has fed the growing public perception that corruption is a problem in Botswana. Although the Government has t [...] |
2005-11-10 06:03:00 | Embassy Gaborone | CONFIDENTIAL | PGOV PHUM BC |
| 05GABORONE1656 |
BOTSWANA'S VP ON SADC, ZIMBABWE, CRIME, TERRORISM, [...] (C) Summary. Ambassador Kate Canavan's introductory call with Botswana's Vice President Lt. Gen. Seretse Khama Ian Khama November 8 highlighted environmental cooperation, counter-terrorism, Zimbabwe, crime, and military issues. Ambassador informed VP Khama of Botswana's acceptance for the Tr [...] |
2005-11-10 06:40:00 | Embassy Gaborone | SECRET | MARR PREL SENV US ZI BC SADC POL MIL |
| 05GABORONE1668 |
LAKE MALAWI/NYASA/NIASSA INVASIVE AQUATIC WEEDS [...] The OES Bureau and the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation (USBR) have initiated a $200,000 project to promote collaborative management efforts on Lake Malawi/Nyasa/Niassa (LMNN) among the three Lake nations -- Malawi, Mozambique and Tanzania. This initiative is designed to advance USG regional securit [...] |
2005-11-14 11:41:00 | Embassy Gaborone | UNCLASSIFIED | SENV EAID MI MZ TZ |
| 05GABORONE21 |
OUTLOOK FOR RURAL AREA DWELLERS BLEAK [...] SUMMARY: The outlook for Botswana's Remote Area Dwellers (RADs) is bleak, despite the Government of Botswana's multifaceted efforts to improve their standard of living. RADs endure high rates of poverty and unemployment, exacerbated by limited access to natural resources (especially land), a [...] |
2005-01-07 06:37:00 | Embassy Gaborone | UNCLASSIFIED | PGOV ECON PHUM SOCI KHIV BC KPRP SAN CKGR |
| 05GABORONE227 |
BOTSWANA RESPONSE: SLOW IMPLEMENTATION OF CWC [...] No summary [...] |
2005-02-15 08:24:00 | Embassy Gaborone | UNCLASSIFIED | PARM ABUD BC AROC CWC CBW OPCW |
| 05GABORONE235 |
LABOR MEDIATION REFORMS PROCEED SLOWLY [...] (U) SUMMARY: Implementation of new labor mediation and arbitration practices established in the Trade Disputes Act of 2003 is proceeding slowly. Limited resources have prevented the Department of Labor from deploying private mediators/arbitrators, resulting in a trebling of the disputes reg [...] |
2005-02-17 05:44:00 | Embassy Gaborone | UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY | ELAB PGOV BC |
| 05GABORONE243 |
OPPOSITION PARTIES CONSIDER COOPERATION, AGAIN [...] (SBU) Summary: Energized by growth in their share of the popular vote in the October 2004 elections, Botswana's opposition parties are debating with renewed vigor how cooperation could embarrass, if not unseat, the ruling Botswana Democratic Party (BDP) in 2009. In order to achieve that obj [...] |
2005-02-17 10:32:00 | Embassy Gaborone | UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY | PGOV BC |
| 05GABORONE257 |
A PAPER TOO FAR: U/BOTSWANA ACADEMIC SERVED [...] (SBU) Summary: The GOB served a 48-hour deportation order to U/Botswana academic and Australian citizen Prof. Kenneth Good on February 18. Good is a 15-year Botswana resident and critical observer of its politics. His attorneys obtained a stay of execution from the High Court on February 19 [...] |
2005-02-22 14:59:00 | Embassy Gaborone | UNCLASSIFIED | PHUM PGOV BC |
| 05GABORONE266 |
HEARINGS BEGIN ON BOTSWANA'S DEPORTATION OF [...] (U) Summary: Preliminary arguments in the case of Kenneth Good v. the Attorney General commenced before a packed chamber at the High Court on February 22. Debate centered on whether the court has the right to issue an interdict against a state order as it did on February 19 to forestall Goo [...] |
2005-02-23 12:06:00 | Embassy Gaborone | UNCLASSIFIED | PHUM PGOV BC |
| 05GABORONE273 |
BOTSWANA'S ANTI-TRAFFICKING IN PERSONS REPORT 2004 [...] (SBU) Summary: At this time, post believes Botswana is not a country of origin, transit or destination for a significant number of human trafficking victims. This is partly because the Government of Botswana regards trafficking as a serious threat and has taken measures to prevent it from em [...] |
2005-02-24 13:29:00 | Embassy Gaborone | UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY | PHUM KCRM KWMN SMIG KFRD ASEC PREF ELAB BC TIP |
| 05GABORONE286 |
U/BOTSWANA HOLDS SEMINAR: ACADEMIC GRANTED [...] Summary: The University of Botswana seminar that featured the scholarly paper, "Presidential Succession in Botswana: No Model for Africa" by political science professor Kenneth Good proceeded without incident February 23. Good received a "rock star" welcome by the 600-person audience. On F [...] |
2005-02-25 12:17:00 | Embassy Gaborone | UNCLASSIFIED | PGOV PHUM BC |
| 05GABORONE294 |
COURT RULES IN FAVOR OF CRITICAL ACADEMIC [...] (SBU) Summary: On February 28, Botswana's High Court ruled in favor of embattled academic and critic of the GOB Prof. Kenneth Good by rejecting the Attorney General's arguments that the court had no authority to issue an interdict against the state. Judge Sapire issued an order granting Good [...] |
2005-02-28 13:05:00 | Embassy Gaborone | UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY | PHUM PGOV BC |
| 05GABORONE346 |
TERRORISM FINANCE 2005 UPDATE NO. 2 - BOTSWANA [...] (U) The following is post's response to reftel request for an evaluation of the host government's ability to cooperate in the disruption of terrorist financing. Answers below are keyed to questions in reftel. 2. (U) A. As yet, the GOB has not identified any assets within Botswana subjec [...] |
2005-03-10 04:56:00 | Embassy Gaborone | CONFIDENTIAL | KTFN KVPR EFIN PTER ETTC PREL CVIS BC |
| 05GABORONE405 |
BUILDING THE PRESIDENT'S EMERGENCY PLAN FOR AIDS [...] Summary: Botswana is one of 15 focus countries assisted by the President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief. In FY- 2004, the U.S. Mission in Botswana expended more than $18 million for Emergency Plan HIV/AIDS prevention, treatment, and care. More than $35 million has been programmed in FY- [...] |
2005-03-18 10:29:00 | Embassy Gaborone | UNCLASSIFIED | KHIV SOCI TBIO EAID KPAO BC HIV AIDS |
| 05GABORONE411 |
A VISIT TO GHANZI DISTRICT: HAPPINESS IS [...] (U) Summary: Ambassador Huggins visited Botswana's western town of Ghanzi and the San/Basarwa relocation settlement of New Xade on March 10-11. Rural poverty, severe dependence on government assistance, lack of income-generating opportunities, despair among youth, and the underperformance of t [...] |
2005-03-18 11:27:00 | Embassy Gaborone | UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY | PGOV PHUM BC SAN CKGR |
| 05GABORONE434 |
DEMARCHE TO SADC CAPITALS ON EVE OF ZIMBABWE [...] (C) Ambassador Huggins delivered demarche to Botswana's Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, Mr. Ernest Mpofu, on March 18. Mpofu's response was that he, too, hoped for free and fair elections in Zimbabwe. He was encouraged, he said, by the [...] |
2005-03-23 14:40:00 | Embassy Gaborone | CONFIDENTIAL | PREL PGOV BC ZI SADC |
| 05GABORONE461 |
BOTSWANA ANXIOUS FOR AML-CTF ASSISTANCE [...] (U) SUMMARY: A bilateral technical assistance program with Botswana could quickly and significantly improve its anti-money laundering and counter-terrorism finance (AML- CTF) regime, a March 20-25 visit by advisors from US Treasury's Office of Technical Assistance (Enforcement) revealed. Me [...] |
2005-03-31 04:37:00 | Embassy Gaborone | UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY | PREL PTER EFIN KTFN BC |
| 05GABORONE479 |
SADC SEEKS US SUPPORT FOR ADB CANDIDATE [...] (C) Summary: Minister of Finance and Development Planning Baledzi Gaolathe requested a meeting with Ambassador Huggins on April 4 to lobby for United States support for Dr. Simba Makoni as the Southern African Development Community's (SADC) candidate for the presidency of the African Develop [...] |
2005-04-05 11:10:00 | Embassy Gaborone | CONFIDENTIAL | PREL PGOV ZI BC SADC |
| 05GABORONE520 |
GENERAL WALD URGES BOTSWANA PARTICIPATION IN PKOS [...] (C) Summary: General Charles Wald, Deputy Commander of EUCOM, discussed EUCOM programs, Botswana,s training needs, and peacekeeping (PKO) issues in a meeting at the Presidency on April 13. General Wald said the African Union (AU), not the United Nations or the European Union, should have the [...] |
2005-04-13 15:19:00 | Embassy Gaborone | CONFIDENTIAL | PREL MARR US BC POL MIL |
| 05GABORONE523 |
GENERAL WALD AND SADC SECGEN DISCUSS SADC'S NEW [...] (C) Summary. Meeting with SADC Secgen Prega Ramsamy in Gaborone April 13, General Charles Wald explained how the U.S. could assist the African Union (AU) and its regional components, including SADC, to equip, train, organize and support the new Regional Responses Forces (RRFs). General Wald [...] |
2005-04-14 04:15:00 | Embassy Gaborone | CONFIDENTIAL | PREL MARR US BC SADC POL MIL |
| 05GABORONE532 |
BOTSWANA TELECOMMUNICATIONS INDUSTRY [...] (C) Summary. This cable is an analysis of the Botswana telecommunications industry's efforts at greater liberalization and the potential consequences of political interference in the nation's regulatory framework. The Botswana Telecommunications Authority (BTA) held a stakeholders' workshop in [...] |
2005-04-15 15:33:00 | Embassy Gaborone | CONFIDENTIAL | BEXP BTIO ECON EFIN EINV EIND ETRD OTRA BC KPRP |
| 05GABORONE535 |
REFUGEES AT DUKWE REFUGEE CAMP SEEK ARV [...] (U) Summary: A March 31 visit to Botswana's Dukwe Refugee Camp by Ambassador Huggins revealed difficult living conditions and challenges in fighting HIV/AIDS within the camp's population. Community leaders at the Camp blamed the Government's policy of not providing ARV treatment to the refu [...] |
2005-04-15 09:55:00 | Embassy Gaborone | UNCLASSIFIED | PREF PGOV KHIV BC HIV AIDS |
| 05GABORONE54 |
CONTACT INFORMATION FOR HOST GOVERNMENT FIGURES [...] No summary [...] |
2005-01-13 10:07:00 | Embassy Gaborone | UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY | PGOV PINR PREL BC |
| 05GABORONE554 |
BNF PRESIDENT HOPES FOR OPPOSITION COOPERATION [...] (U) Summary: In an April 1 meeting, Otsweletse Moupo, president of Botswana's largest opposition party, the Botswana National Front (BNF), shared with Ambassador Huggins his commitment to cooperation with other opposition parties in the next general election, scheduled for 2009. Moupo noted [...] |
2005-04-20 09:03:00 | Embassy Gaborone | UNCLASSIFIED | PREL PGOV BC |
| 05GABORONE56 |
PORTRAIT OF THE VICE PRESIDENT AS AN AUTOCRAT: [...] (C) Summary: As next in line to inherit the presidency, Botswana,s Vice President Ian Khama remains an enigma. Many participants in Botswana's public life such as academics, journalists, and NGO leaders, express ambiguity and skepticism regarding the Vice President's credentials as a politi [...] |
2005-01-13 11:13:00 | Embassy Gaborone | CONFIDENTIAL | PREL PGOV PHUM BC |
| 05GABORONE560 |
SADC SECRETARIAT STANDS BY ITS ZIMBABWE [...] (U) Summary: In an April 7 meeting with AF/S Director Mozena, SADC Executive Secretary Ramsamy was adamant that he stood by the SADC observer assessment of the Zimbabwe election as `peaceful, well managed, credible and transparent.' Ramsamy suggested cost sharing between donors and public an [...] |
2005-04-21 12:16:00 | Embassy Gaborone | UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY | PGOV PREL PHUM ZI BC SADC |
| 05GABORONE561 |
BOTSWANA ASSESSES POST-ELECTION ZIMBABWE [...] (U) Summary: During a meeting between AF/S Director Dan Mozena and Botswana's MFA PermSec Mpofu on April 7, the latter was frank in airing the frustration the GOB feels regarding Zimbabwe. The deterioration of trade and the dislocations border jumpers cause for Botswana are two major problem [...] |
2005-04-21 12:18:00 | Embassy Gaborone | UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY | PGOV PREL PHUM ZI BC IBB |
| 05GABORONE568 |
SADC'S ROLE IN BIOTECHNOLOGY AND BIOSAFETY IN THE [...] Biotechnology can play a key role in economic and social development in the Southern African region. Agricultural technologies, including genetic modification, have the potential to increase food production over the next 50 years and help fight regional hunger. Progress is being made in som [...] |
2005-04-21 17:18:00 | Embassy Gaborone | UNCLASSIFIED | EAGR ECON ETRD TBIO KPAO SENV EAID BC |
| 05GABORONE600 |
CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENT FALLS SHORT OF TRIBAL [...] (C) Summary: The GOB has proposed a so-called "tribal neutrality" bill that would amend Botswana's constitution to broaden representation in the House of Chiefs, the largely symbolic second chamber of parliament through which traditional leaders advise the National Assembly. Well over a dec [...] |
2005-05-02 14:33:00 | Embassy Gaborone | CONFIDENTIAL | PHUM PGOV BC |
| 05GABORONE601 |
GABORONE'S LOOMING WATER SHORTAGE [...] (SBU) SUMMARY: The Gaborone Dam, the primary source of water for over 250,000 people in the Greater Gaborone area, is at a four-year low. Without significant inflows, which are unlikely to materialize, the dam will fail in three months. The GOB's short-term solution is to rely on a notorio [...] |
2005-05-03 05:37:00 | Embassy Gaborone | UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY | PGOV SENV ECON BEXP BC |
| 05GABORONE651 |
MOYO'S DEPARTURE CHEERS GOB [...] (C) SUMMARY: Botswana's Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation hopes that the appointment of Tichaona Jokonya as Zimbabwe's Minister of Information and Publicity will calm the stormy relations between the two nations. In a May 9 conversation with PolOff, Mr. Manyepedza Le [...] |
2005-05-13 05:43:00 | Embassy Gaborone | CONFIDENTIAL | PREL PGOV ZI BC |
| 05GABORONE66 |
REQUEST FOR FUNDING FOR BIOTECHNOLOGY OUTREACH [...] Summary: Embassy Gaborone requests USD7,000 from EB to fund a biotechnology outreach project in Botswana that will provide two weeks of technical assistance to the Government of Botswana's National Coordinating Committee on Biosafety (NCCB) in creating a national framework for biosafety. We [...] |
2005-01-14 10:56:00 | Embassy Gaborone | UNCLASSIFIED | EAGR ECON ETRD TBIO BEXP KPAO BC |
| 05GABORONE666 |
STATE ATTORNEY PROTRACTS CKGR CASE [...] (SBU) SUMMARY: Hearings in the Central Kalahari Game Reserve (CKGR) relocation case resumed on May 3 but proceeded slowly due to the state counsel's delay tactics. According to First People of the Kalahari (FPK), it has been betrayed by the Indigenous Land Rights Fund, which has yet to turn [...] |
2005-05-17 11:29:00 | Embassy Gaborone | UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY | PHUM PGOV BC SAN CKGR |
| 05GABORONE667 |
BDP RECONCILIATION ON TRACK - FOR NOW [...] (C) SUMMARY: The Botswana Democratic Party's Women's Wing chose a compromise slate of leaders at its May 5-8 national congress providing the first evidence that Vice President Khama's efforts to unite the Party are succeeding. This comes just ahead of the Party's national congress in July, w [...] |
2005-05-17 11:32:00 | Embassy Gaborone | CONFIDENTIAL | PREL PGOV BC |
| 05GABORONE685 |
TRIPARTITE COOPERATION LACKING [...] SUMMARY: Tripartite cooperation in Botswana's labor sector is hampered by weak unions and a lack of trust between labor, management and the Government. Participants in a May 18-19 labor conference identified these factors as causes of slow productivity growth in Botswana. The USDOL- funded [...] |
2005-05-23 13:31:00 | Embassy Gaborone | UNCLASSIFIED | PHUM ELAB PGOV BC |
| 05GABORONE715 |
TOURISM DEVELOPMENT IN BOTSWANA AND [...] (U) Summary. The Government of Botswana views the development of the tourism industry as a prime driver of its economic diversification strategy away from mineral dependence. Currently, tourism ranks second as a generator of foreign exchange for the national coffers, but growth has been stif [...] |
2005-05-27 07:43:00 | Embassy Gaborone | UNCLASSIFIED | BTIO BEXP ECON ETRD SENV BC TRADE |
| 05GABORONE738 |
COURT OK'S DEPORTATION OF CRITICAL ACADEMIC [...] (SBU) SUMMARY: Botswana's High Court has upheld the constitutionality of a Presidential decree declaring critical academic Professor Kenneth Good a prohibited immigrant subject to deportation. Attorneys for the 70-year- old gadfly had argued that Good's deportation would violate his right t [...] |
2005-06-02 06:28:00 | Embassy Gaborone | UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY | PHUM ELAB PGOV BC |
| 05GABORONE745 |
BOTSWANA DEVALUES CURRENCY [...] Summary: The Ministry of Finance and Development Planning (MOF) announced a 12 percent devaluation of the Pula on May 29 as well as a restructured formula for calculating the exchange rate. The Pula is currently pegged to a basket of currencies, including the U.S. Dollar, the Yen, the Euro, [...] |
2005-06-02 11:39:00 | Embassy Gaborone | UNCLASSIFIED | ECON BEXP EFIN ETRD BC TRADE |
| 05GABORONE749 |
SCENESETTER FOR BOTSWANA PRESIDENT MOGAE'S JUNE 13 [...] (U) SUMMARY: Botswana President Festus G. Mogae's June 13 meeting with President Bush provides an opportunity to affirm and advance Botswana's role as a partner in promoting peace, democracy and human rights in Africa, increasing economic growth through trade, and combating HIV/AIDS. Botswan [...] |
2005-06-02 14:48:00 | Embassy Gaborone | CONFIDENTIAL | PREL PGOV ECON PHUM KHIV BC |
| 05GABORONE751 |
BOTSWANA WILL HOST EXERCISE THOKGAMO: TOWARD THE [...] Summary: Lt. General Matshengeyo Fisher, Commander of Botswana's Defense Force, on May 27 briefed the Ambassador, DATT and Pol/Econ Chief on the French-supported RECAMP exercises to be held June 10-25 in northern Botswana. Thirteen countries of the southern African region are expected to cont [...] |
2005-06-03 06:59:00 | Embassy Gaborone | UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY | MARR KPKO BC POL MIL SADC |
| 05GABORONE767 |
REVIEWING BOTSWANA'S ELIGIBILITY FOR DEVELOPMENT [...] (U) Summary: In a May 30 meeting at the UNDP Resident Representative's office in Gaborone, Ambassador Huggins and visiting World Food Program's chief James Morris reviewed Botswana's need for development assistance in light of the inroads made by the HIV/AIDS crisis, and agreed that despite t [...] |
2005-06-06 05:39:00 | Embassy Gaborone | UNCLASSIFIED | PREL PHUM KHIV BC AGRIC HIV AIDS SADC |
| 05GABORONE812 |
IMPROVING BOTSWANA'S ELECTIONS [...] (U) SUMMARY: Although Botswana's Independent Electoral Commission (IEC) administered the October 2004 parliamentary election admirably, constitutional and statutory amendments could enhance the IEC's ability to conduct elections in a free and fair manner. At a June 9-10 conference co- spons [...] |
2005-06-14 05:55:00 | Embassy Gaborone | UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY | PGOV PHUM PREL SF BC |
| 05GABORONE838 |
PROSPECTS FOR LIBERALIZING BOTSWANA'S [...] Summary. The recently-formed Botswana Cattle Producer's Association (BCPA) submitted a proposal to the Ministry of Agriculture (MOA) in late May to remove the monopoly of the Botswana Meat Commission (BMC) on the exportation of beef. If the proposal were accepted, the beef industry would es [...] |
2005-06-17 09:38:00 | Embassy Gaborone | UNCLASSIFIED | BEXP ECON EAGR ETRD BC TRADE |
| 05GABORONE847 |
BOTSWANA AGOA FORUM OUTREACH PLAN [...] This is a response to reftel request for submission of a Botswana AGOA Forum outreach plan. 2. Post has conducted a number of outreach activities in conjunction with the Gaborone-based USAID-supported Southern Africa Trade Hub. A press conference with the Hub's AGOA Advisor Amanda Hill [...] |
2005-06-20 15:18:00 | Embassy Gaborone | UNCLASSIFIED | ECON ETRD AMGT PREL |
| 05GABORONE879 |
ADDRESSING LABOR EFFECTS OF HIV/AIDS [...] (U) Summary: HIV/AIDS is slowing economic growth in Botswana by an estimated 1.5 percent per year, in part through its impact on labor - decreased productivity, increased leave taking, and lost workers. In order better to quantify this drag on growth, the GOB has begun to collect data on th [...] |
2005-06-27 07:55:00 | Embassy Gaborone | UNCLASSIFIED | ELAB KHIV PGOV PHUM BC KPRP HIV AIDS |
| 05GABORONE880 |
TRADE, NOT AU/SADC BRIGADES, TO BE MOGAE'S [...] (U) ACSS Director General Carlton Fulford (ret), in Gaborone for the Africa Center for Strategic Studies (ACSS) Senor Leader Seminar, called on President Mogae June 18, accompanied by Charge. Gen. Fulford thanked Botswana for co-hosting the seminar. Substantive discussion centered on militar [...] |
2005-06-27 07:55:00 | Embassy Gaborone | CONFIDENTIAL | PREL US BC SADC |
| 05GABORONE913 |
CKGR COURT CASE ADJOURNS, PROBLEMS FOR SAN [...] (SBU) Summary: On June 16, hearings in the case of the First People of the Kalahari against the Government of Botswana adjourned until August 3. As the legal process drags on, residents of the relocation settlements continue to face grim circumstances. Hearings by a mission of the African [...] |
2005-06-30 05:56:00 | Embassy Gaborone | UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY | PHUM PGOV PREL BC SAN CKGR |
| 05GABORONE934 |
LOCAL RESENTMENT TOWARD CHINESE [...] (U) SUMMARY: Perceived unfair competition, against a background of slower economic growth and rising unemployment, has fed an emerging anti-Chinese sentiment, particularly in Francistown, Botswana's second largest city. Local businessmen there see Chinese shopkeepers as illegally crowding ou [...] |
2005-07-06 14:58:00 | Embassy Gaborone | UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY | PGOV ECON CH BC |
| 05GABORONE939 |
ILLEGAL IMMIGRATION FUELS RISING CRIME [...] (U) SUMMARY: With the situation in Zimbabwe growing ever more desperate, illegal immigrants from there continue to stream into Francistown, the largest city near the border, at roughly the same rate as in 2004. Desperation has fuelled a rising crime rate, particularly theft and prostitution, [...] |
2005-07-07 10:16:00 | Embassy Gaborone | UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY | PGOV SMIG KCRM PHUM ZI BC |
| 05GABORONE951 |
REFUGEES IN BOTSWANA: AN UPDATE [...] SUMMARY: The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) in Botswana and the Francistown Vicariate of the Catholic Church are exploring the possibility of providing anti-retroviral (ARV) treatment to a limited number of refugees. Approximately 550 Angolan refugees are registered t [...] |
2005-07-08 10:45:00 | Embassy Gaborone | UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY | PREF PGOV PHUM AO CG WA ZI BC HIV AIDS |
| 05GABORONE953 |
HIV/AIDS IN BOTSWANA: FRANCISTOWN BUSINESSMEN [...] SUMMARY: HIV/AIDS is decreasing productivity and reducing economic growth in Botswana. According to members of the business community in Francistown, Botswana's second largest city where some of the highest HIV/AIDS infection rates in the country are found, the costs of AIDS-related leave t [...] |
2005-07-08 11:06:00 | Embassy Gaborone | UNCLASSIFIED | KHIV ECON ELAB BC HIV AIDS |
| 06GABORONE431 |
BOTSWANA BALANCES BUDGET ON HIGHER DIAMOND EXPORTS [...] SUMMARY: The Government of Botswana expects to balance its budget in 2006, thanks to growth in revenues from the mining sector and a one-off payment from the old Southern African Customs Union agreement. Although Minister of Finance Gaolathe predicted 6 percent growth for the next two to th [...] |
2006-03-28 14:19:00 | Embassy Gaborone | UNCLASSIFIED | ECON EFIN ETRD ELAB BC |
| 06GABORONE453 |
SCENESETTER FOR DAS THOMPSON'S VISIT TO BOTSWANA [...] Mission Botswana welcomes the visit of DAS Carol Thompson on April 12-13. As a stable, middle-income, multi-party democracy, Botswana represents the potential of Africa. Yet, Botswana faces significant challenges - a severe HIV/AIDS epidemic, an international human rights controversy over th [...] |
2006-03-31 12:07:00 | Embassy Gaborone | UNCLASSIFIED | PREL PGOV ECON KHIV PHUM MOPS BC |
| 06GABORONE478 |
VICE PRESIDENT KHAMA TAKES HEAT FROM MPS [...] (SBU) SUMMARY: Botswana's just-concluded parliamentary session contained some embarrassing but revealing moments for Vice President Ian Khama. His contributions to the National Assembly were brought into question by MPs asking why he does not report to the legislature. Others complained th [...] |
2006-04-06 05:13:00 | Embassy Gaborone | UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY | PGOV BC |
| 06GABORONE581 |
CIVIL-MILITARY RELATIONS IN BOTSWANA [...] (SBU) Summary: As the Botswana Defence Force (BDF) prepares to mark thirty years of professional, apolitical service to the nation, its leadership has recognized the need to improve civil-military relations. While the BDF's streamlined relationship with the executive branch has facilitated [...] |
2006-04-28 08:36:00 | Embassy Gaborone | CONFIDENTIAL | PGOV MARR BC |
| 06GABORONE623 |
INFIGHTING, LACK OF CAPACITY HOBBLES BOTSWANA LABOR [...] Summary: The majority of trade unions represented at May Day celebrations in Gaborone have dismissed their umbrella body, the Botswana Federation of Trade Unions (BFTU), as worthless. Unionists accused the government and employers of destabilizing their organizations by instigating factiona [...] |
2006-05-08 13:35:00 | Embassy Gaborone | UNCLASSIFIED | ELAB PGOV PHUM BC |
| 06GABORONE653 |
FRUSTRATED WITH MUGABE, BOTSWANA TO TIGHTEN BORDER [...] (C) SUMMARY: Despite its frustration with President Mugabe's misrule, the Government of Botswana has no proactive strategy for dealing with the problem. Caught between the opinion of most donor governments on one hand and its neighbors' demand for regional solidarity on the other, the GOB h [...] |
2006-05-12 06:14:00 | Embassy Gaborone | CONFIDENTIAL | PGOV PREL SMIG KCRM GM ZI BC |
| 06GABORONE737 |
PROSPECTS IMPROVE FOR DIALOGUE OVER CKGR [...] (U) SUMMARY: As the court case between the San relocated from the Central Kalahari Game Reserve and the Government of Botswana nears its end, a group of local NGOs has established a coalition to resume dialogue between the San and the Government. Regardless of the High Court's decision, exp [...] |
2006-06-06 05:08:00 | Embassy Gaborone | CONFIDENTIAL | PGOV PHUM BC |
| 06GABORONE786 |
DEMARCHE DELIVERED: IRAN ARMS [...] (S) Referenced demarche on Botswana's purchase of small arms ammunition form Iran was delivered to the Director for Europe and North America, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, on 15 June. Director Sesara George stated that while he was not aware of the purchase, he was personally "aghast" to hear [...] |
2006-06-15 12:42:00 | Embassy Gaborone | SECRET//NOFORN | BC ETRD ETTC IR PARM PREL |
| 06GABORONE836 |
DEMARCHE RESPONSE: IRAN ARMS DEAL CANCELED [...] (S) Ministry of Foreign Affairs Director for Europe and North America, Sesara George, informed the Embassy on 22 June of the cancellation of Botswana's small arms ammunition purchase from Iran (refs). Earlier in the week he had telephoned to tell us that the MFA had confirmed the existence o [...] |
2006-06-26 14:29:00 | Embassy Gaborone | SECRET//NOFORN | BC ETRD ETTC IR PARM PREL |
| 06GABORONE860 |
PRIVATE SECTOR FAULTS GOVERNMENT FOR SLOW GROWTH [...] (U) SUMMARY: Despite the Government of Botswana's generally liberal economic policies, the business community perceives burdensome regulations and rising corruption as obstacles to robust growth. Conversations with business representatives outside of Gaborone revealed concerns that slowing g [...] |
2006-06-28 14:43:00 | Embassy Gaborone | UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY | ECON PHUM BC |
| 06GABORONE865 |
BOTSWANA YOUTH STRUGGLE WITH UNEMPLOYMENT [...] SUMMARY: Botswana's youth face a lack of both training and job opportunities, creating situations of poverty that can lead to commercial sex work, HIV/AIDS, and anti-social behavior. Despite a significant problem of commercial sex work, none of our contacts have heard of scenarios in which [...] |
2006-06-29 09:45:00 | Embassy Gaborone | UNCLASSIFIED | ECON PHUM SOCI BC |
| 06GABORONE933 |
BOTSWANA HOUSES PROVIDED THROUGH CHINESE LOANS [...] SUMMARY: The government of Botswana has again turned to the China Export-Import Bank to fund a construction project, despite a loan provision requiring that the work be performed by Chinese firms. The $9.2 million loan will fund construction of 293 houses in Gaborone. Parliamentary support [...] |
2006-07-24 15:33:00 | Embassy Gaborone | UNCLASSIFIED | PGOV PREL ECON BEXP BC CH |
| 07GABORONE1249 |
BOTSWANA-BASED DELIBERATIONS OVER AFRICOM [...] (S/NF) Summary: In an understated and impeccable Botswana fashion, GOB Minister of Foreign Affairs Merafhe politely received the AFRICOM demarche from the Ambassador on October 10 and promised to get back to us quickly, possibly by October 12, with a firm GOB reply. Merafhe appeared genuinel [...] |
2007-10-10 17:07:00 | Embassy Gaborone | SECRET//NOFORN | PREL MARR BC |
| 07GABORONE1261 |
BOTSWANA GIVES GREEN LIGHT TO AFRICOM SURVEY [...] (S/NF) Mompati Merafhe, Botswana's Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation (MFAIC), convoked the Charge (accompanied by ODC Chief) Monday morning October 15 to his office in order to present the GOB's formal reply to our recent demarche on AFRICOM (Ref A). Minister Merafhe s [...] |
2007-10-15 09:19:00 | Embassy Gaborone | SECRET//NOFORN | PREL MARR BC |
| 07GABORONE1341 |
DEMARCHE DELIVERED FOR ARGENTINA [...] (SBU) After speaking with Argentinian Ambassador R. Carlos Sersale di Cerisano, who is accredited to Botswana but is resident in Pretoria, Poloff delivered on October 30 Reftel demarche to the GOB's Director of Multilateral Affairs in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperarti [...] |
2007-11-02 05:13:00 | Embassy Gaborone | UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY | KJUS PTER ASEC PREL PGOV BC |
| 07GABORONE1343 |
DESIGNATIONS OF IRANIAN ENTITIES AND INDIVIDUALS [...] No summary [...] |
2007-11-02 07:57:00 | Embassy Gaborone | UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY | KNNP PREL PARM EFIN ECON MNUC BC |
| 08GABORONE1017 |
AMBASSADOR'S CALL ON MINISTER OF LABOR [...] (SBU) SUMMARY. Ambassador Nolan paid a courtesy call on Botswana's Minister of Labor and Home Affairs Peter Letlhogonolo Siele on November 7. The Minister and Ambassador discussed the current situation in Botswana's prisons, a plan by President Khama to assist released prisoners in starting [...] |
2008-11-18 09:55:00 | Embassy Gaborone | UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY | PGOV PHUM PREL SOCI ZI BC |
| 08GABORONE1029 |
BOTSWANA DEFLECTS ZIMBABWE, SEEKS SOUTH AFRICA AND [...] (C) Botswana's frustration over the political impasse in Zimbabwe is growing, and GOB MFA Permanent Secretary Outlule called in Ambassador Nolan and representatives of the UK, French, and EU Missions here late Friday afternoon November 21 for an update and to elicit our latest thinking on the w [...] |
2008-11-24 04:53:00 | Embassy Gaborone | CONFIDENTIAL | PREL PGOV BC ZI |
| 08GABORONE1036 |
AMBASSADOR'S COURTESY CALL WITH BDF COMMANDER [...] (C) SUMMARY. Ambassador Nolan paid a courtesy call on the Commander of the Botswana Defence Force ("BDF"), LTG Tebogo Masire on November 18. The Commander and Ambassador discussed the Commander's desire for more joint exercises and exchange programs, the military assistance package requested [...] |
2008-11-26 13:19:00 | Embassy Gaborone | SECRET | MASS MOPS PREL BC |
| 08GABORONE1078 |
Ambassador's Courtesy Call on Trade Minister [...] Ambassador Nolan paid a courtesy call on Botswana's Minister of Trade and Industry Neo Moroka November 28 at the Minister's Office. Moroka thanked the U.S. for providing development assistance to Botswana since independence, and noted that both he and many of his staff had benefitted from scho [...] |
2008-12-09 11:59:00 | Embassy Gaborone | UNCLASSIFIED | ETRD ECON EAID SCUL BC |
| 08GABORONE1082 |
BOTSWANA-ZIMBABWE TENSIONS REMAIN HIGH [...] (C) SUMMARY: During a series of meetings on December 9, contacts in Botswana's Ministry of Foreign Affairs confirmed to A/DCM that a ministerial level meeting of the SADC Organ on Politics, Defence, and Security troika will be held in Gaborone December 11. The purpose of this meeting is for t [...] |
2008-12-11 11:02:00 | Embassy Gaborone | CONFIDENTIAL | PREL PHUM ZI BC |
| 08GABORONE1083 |
BOTSWANA: 5 CHOLERA CASES REPORTED SO FAR [...] SUMMARY: The number of people infected with cholera in Botswana has risen to five - all of whom are Zimbabwean. There have been no reports that any citizens of Botswana have contracted cholera from contact with these patients. The GOB is carefully monitoring the situation and has been working [...] |
2008-12-12 10:45:00 | Embassy Gaborone | UNCLASSIFIED | PGOV PREL SOCI TBIO BC |
| 08GABORONE1103 |
WHY IS SADC SO SAD? [...] (C) Summary: It is now "Festive Season" holiday time in Botswana and across Southern Africa, but it is also silly season when it comes to SADC. The SADC Organ on Politics, Defense, and Security's insistence on a full-scale investigation of and report on GOZ allegations that Botswana is helpi [...] |
2008-12-17 15:34:00 | Embassy Gaborone | CONFIDENTIAL | PREL PGOV EAID SOCI BC ZI |
| 08GABORONE1111 |
MORGAN TSVANGIRAI ADDRESSES MEDIA IN BOTSWANA [...] Zimbabwe Movement for Democratic Change Leader Morgan Tsvangirai spoke to and took questions from some 50 local and international media December 19 at a hotel in Gaborone. Tsvangirai addressed issues including the abductions of MDC party members in Zimbabwe, the Global Political Agreement, Ro [...] |
2008-12-19 15:15:00 | Embassy Gaborone | UNCLASSIFIED | PREL PGOV BC ZI |
| 08GABORONE1124 |
DEMARCHE DELIVERED: AMISOM FORCE GENERATION [...] (SBU) Pol/Econ Chief delivered reftel demarche to Mr. Tinar Lekuni, Deputy Director for African Affairs at Botswana's Ministry of Foreign Affairs, on December 9. Mr. Lekuni confirmed that the African Union Force Generation team had visited Botswana in late November. He however could not shar [...] |
2008-12-23 11:50:00 | Embassy Gaborone | UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY | PREL KPKO SO BC |
| 08GABORONE1125 |
DEMARCHE DELIVERED: UN HARMONIZATION [...] No summary [...] |
2008-12-23 13:56:00 | Embassy Gaborone | UNCLASSIFIED | PREL UNGA APER AMGT BC |
| 08GABORONE1127 |
DEMARCHE DELIVERED: IRAN UN VOTE [...] No summary [...] |
2008-12-23 14:53:00 | Embassy Gaborone | UNCLASSIFIED | PHUM PREL BC |
| 08GABORONE1128 |
DEMARCHE DELIVERED: UNESCO DG [...] No summary [...] |
2008-12-23 14:54:00 | Embassy Gaborone | UNCLASSIFIED | PREL UNESCO BC |
| 08GABORONE1130 |
KHAMA RESPONDS TO SECRETARY'S THANK YOU ON ZIMBABWE [...] SUMMARY: President Khama has sent a response to Secretary Rice's letter of thanks regarding the GOB's leadership concerning the Zimbabwe crisis. 2. On December 24, Embassy Gaborone received a letter under cover of GOB Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation Diplomatic [...] |
2008-12-24 09:57:00 | Embassy Gaborone | UNCLASSIFIED | PREL OPDC AF BC |
| 08GABORONE1136 |
DEMARCHE DELIVERED: UN PEACEKEEPING OPERATION IN [...] No summary [...] |
2008-12-29 15:13:00 | Embassy Gaborone | UNCLASSIFIED | PREL UNGA SO BC |
| 08GABORONE1138 |
PAS GABORONE SUPPORTS GENDER AND HIV/AIDS WORKSHOP USING [...] SUMMARY: PAS Gaborone supported a two-day workshop on gender, violence and HIV/AIDS with government social service representatives, the police and NGOs. Hosted in a northeastern Botswana mining town, the workshop had an impact on the 50 community leaders who attended and the citizens they re [...] |
2008-12-30 04:58:00 | Embassy Gaborone | UNCLASSIFIED | KPAO KHIV KWMN PGOV PHUM BC |
| 08GABORONE1140 |
GOB STILL NOT READY TO TREAT HIV POSITIVE REFUGEES [...] (SBU) SUMMARY: Botswana provides free antiretroviral therapy (ART) to over 90% of its citizens who need it, but the GOB does not include non-citizens resident in Botswana, including registered refugees, in its national ART program. Botswana's cabinet agreed to extend the ART program to regis [...] |
2008-12-30 07:02:00 | Embassy Gaborone | UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY | PREF PREL KHIV PHUM TBIO BC ZI |
| 08GABORONE248 |
PRESIDENT KHAMA'S NEW CABINET -- CHANGE WITH ORDER [...] (C) Summary: Newly installed President Khama stayed well within his comfort zone by selecting Foreign Minister Lt. General Merafhe to serve as his vice president, and the choice also underscores Khama's inaugural remarks pledging continuity of government policy and vision. Similarly, his new [...] |
2008-04-03 14:48:00 | Embassy Gaborone | CONFIDENTIAL | BC PGOV PINR PINS PREL |
| 08GABORONE406 |
DEMARCHE DELIVERED: SADC OBSERVERS FOR ZIMBABWE [...] (C) Summary: Ambassador Canavan delivered demarche regarding election observers for Zimbabwe to the SADC Executive Secretary, who agreed on the need and outlined SADC's current activities and plans. He said he has lined up pledges for between 400 and 500 SADC observers and hopes to arrange m [...] |
2008-05-27 14:14:00 | Embassy Gaborone | CONFIDENTIAL | PREL SADC ZI BC AU |
| 08GABORONE495 |
PRESIDENT KHAMA OPEN TO NEW APPROACHES ON CKGR AND [...] (C) Summary: President Khama says he is ready to move ahead on the problems of the San who were relocated from the CKGR, and will use a widely-praised former community management plan as a guideline. He also is breaking with past policy by saying he is willing to allow HIV-positive refugees [...] |
2008-06-23 11:44:00 | Embassy Gaborone | CONFIDENTIAL | BC PGOV PHUM PREL SADC ZI |
| 08GABORONE511 |
BOTSWANA PREPARES FOR HORDES OF ZIMBABWEAN ASYLUM [...] The Office of the President organized a fact-finding trip to Francistown and environs June 15-17 to familiarize members of the diplomatic community with their plans to process and care for potentially thousands of Zimbabweans fleeing the violence in their country. Those participating were myse [...] |
2008-06-24 15:28:00 | Embassy Gaborone | UNCLASSIFIED | BC PGOV PREF ZI |
| 08GABORONE514 |
DIAMONDS ARE BOTSWANA'S BEST FRIEND [...] Summary. With the opening of the Diamond Trading Center (DTC), Botswana has successfully moved up the value chain in the diamond industry. No longer just a raw producer of diamonds, Botswana is now host to all steps in the diamond industry - from mining and producing to sorting, cutting, and [...] |
2008-06-26 05:37:00 | Embassy Gaborone | UNCLASSIFIED | ECON EMIN BC |
| 08GABORONE547 |
BOTSWANA'S AU STATEMENT ON ZIMBABWE SITUATION [...] (U) The GOB Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation in Gaborone has shared with the Embassy the official text of Botswana's July 1 intervention/statement on the situation in Zimbabwe at the recent African Union Summit in Sharm el-Sheik. Post has already e-mailed a PDF of this [...] |
2008-07-03 21:32:00 | Embassy Gaborone | UNCLASSIFIED | PREL PGOV AU BC ZI |
| 08GABORONE552 |
BOTSWANA'S STATEMENT ON ZIMBABWE JULY 04, 2008 [...] The GOB Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation shared with the Embassy the official statement regarding the GOB's position on the outcome of the June 27, 2008 Presidential run-off election in Zimbabwe. Begin Verbatim Official GOB Text: Â [...] |
2008-07-07 15:50:00 | Embassy Gaborone | UNCLASSIFIED | PREL PGOV AU BC ZI |
| 08GABORONE553 |
ZIMBABWE ELECTIONS REPORT [...] The Botswana Observer Team in cooperation with the SADC Election Observer Mission (SEOM)has shared with the Embassy the official text of the statement of the Botswana Observer Team regarding the June 27, 2008 Zimbabwe Presidential run-off elections. Begin Verbatim Botswana Observer Team Text: [...] |
2008-07-07 16:13:00 | Embassy Gaborone | UNCLASSIFIED | PREL PGOV AU BC ZI |
| 08GABORONE566 |
HELPING BOTSWANA WITHOUT HARMING OURSELVES [...] (S/NF) Given our recent reporting on the forward-leaning and principled position the GOB has recently adopted vis-a-vis Zimbabwe (Refs C, D, and E), and the resultant GOB-GOZ polarization that has prompted a formal GOB request for deeper USG support with more extensive security assistance (Ref [...] |
2008-07-11 21:31:00 | Embassy Gaborone | SECRET//NOFORN | PREL PGOV MARR MASS MCAP AEC BC ZI |
| 08GABORONE577 |
BOTSWANA PRESENTS ITS REQUEST LIST FOR MILITARY [...] (S) This is an action request; please see paragraph 10. 2. (S) Summary: The GOB, through the Botswana Defence Force (BDF) has provided July 14 to this Mission a list of the specific request for security assistance in the form of military hardware and equipment, as first elicited by the GOB [...] |
2008-07-15 15:51:00 | Embassy Gaborone | SECRET | PREL PGOV PINR PREF MARR MASS MCAP ASEC BC ZI |
| 08GABORONE647 |
BOTSWANA FIRM BUT ISOLATED IN SADC OVER ZIMBABWE [...] (C) Acting P/E Chief Woods delivered demarche per reftel on July 29 to MFA Assistant Director of the Americas Desk Shimane Kelaotswe. He expressed deep appreciation for USG support of Botswana's approach on Zimbabwe following the flawed June 27 election. Kelaotswe intimated that both the MFA [...] |
2008-07-31 20:32:00 | Embassy Gaborone | CONFIDENTIAL | PREL PGOV SADC SOCI BC ZI |
| 08GABORONE657 |
LETTER TO SECRETARY OF DEFENSE GATES FROM BOTSWANA [...] No summary [...] |
2008-08-05 12:51:00 | Embassy Gaborone | UNCLASSIFIED | OPDC PREL MARR BC |
| 08GABORONE677 |
REHO DISCUSSES ENERGY WITH CEEEZ DIRECTOR [...] Summary: Regional Environment and Health Officer for Southern Africa (REHO) and Embassy Lusaka Econ/Commercial Assistant met June 4 with Professor Yamba, Chairman of the Centre for Energy, Environment and Engineering Zambia (CEEEZ), to discuss energy issues in Zambia. He described CEEEZ's miss [...] |
2008-08-08 13:21:00 | Embassy Gaborone | UNCLASSIFIED | SENV ECON EAID ZA BC |
| 08GABORONE714 |
TSVANGIRAI VISITS GABORONE AS FIRST STOP AFTER [...] (C) Summary: Zimbabwe MDC opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai visited Gaborone immediately after the SADC Summit, reportedly meeting with President Khama who had boycotted the weekend's Johannesburg Summit in protest over the Zimbabwe political impasse. The GOB has been cagey about the visit [...] |
2008-08-19 14:55:00 | Embassy Gaborone | CONFIDENTIAL | PREL PINR SADC SOCI ETRD ZI BC SF |
| 08GABORONE719 |
USAID CLOSES OUT CBNRM PROGRAM IN NAMIBIA [...] Summary: On June 12 in Windhoek, Regional Environment and Health Officer for Southern Africa (REHO) attended USAID's close-out ceremony of its 15-year support of Community-Based Natural Resources Management (CBNRM) in Namibia. Among the attendees were Ambassador Mathieu, USAID Director Gary Ne [...] |
2008-08-20 10:04:00 | Embassy Gaborone | UNCLASSIFIED | SENV ECON EAID WA BC |
| 08GABORONE720 |
KAZA UPDATE [...] Summary. The U.S. State Department and USAID provide technical and financial support to the development of a consultation framework of the 5-nation Kavango-Zambezi Transfrontier Conservation Area (KAZA-TFCA) Initiative. The conceptualization and planning for this began in 2006 with Botswana, [...] |
2008-08-20 10:18:00 | Embassy Gaborone | UNCLASSIFIED | SENV ECON EAID WA ZA BC |
| 08GABORONE728 |
BOTSWANA'S SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY AGENDA [...] Summary. The Government of Botswana (GOB) through the Ministry of Communications, Science and Technology (MCST), is determined to develop a credible national science and technology (S&T) capability that will yield globally competitive outputs. The most daunting challenge for Botswana is to uti [...] |
2008-08-21 10:26:00 | Embassy Gaborone | UNCLASSIFIED | TPHY SENV SOCI EAID BC |
| 08GABORONE749 |
SCENESETTER FOR A/S FRAZER'S VISIT TO BOTSWANA, SEPTEMBER [...] (U) Country Overview: Independent since 1966, Botswana is frequently hailed as an African success story: a multiparty democracy with a record of political and social stability and respect for human rights. Botswana shares a vast, desolate, and porous border with its neighbors: South Africa, Z [...] |
2008-08-27 15:10:00 | Embassy Gaborone | UNCLASSIFIED | PGOV PREL OTRA BC |
| 08GABORONE795 |
THREE ASSISTANT MINISTERS AND THE DEPUTY SPEAKER OF THE [...] On August 30, Assistant Ministers Oliphant Mfa and Ambrose Masalila in the Ministry of Local Government and Duke Lefhoko in the Ministry of Trade lost their seats in the last batch of the Botswana Democratic Party's (BDP) primary elections held in the northern constituencies of the country. T [...] |
2008-09-04 13:27:00 | Embassy Gaborone | UNCLASSIFIED | PGOV PREL PINR BC |
| 08GABORONE821 |
TRANSMISSION OF LETTER TO PRESIDENT BUSH FROM [...] Embassy Gaborone received a diplomatic note (Note NO/2008 EA 6/16 (s) XXVIII (77) C1) from the Government of Botswana conveying a letter to President Bush from President Khama. The transcription of the diplomatic note follows: 2. "Republic of Botswana NOTE NO: 40/2008 EA 6/16 (s) xxviii ( [...] |
2008-09-12 15:27:00 | Embassy Gaborone | UNCLASSIFIED | OPDC PGOV BC |
| 08GABORONE875 |
USG PROPOSES ENHANCED SECURITY PARTNERSHIP WITH [...] (S) DCM Philip Drouin called on Ambassador Mustaq Moorad, Deputy Permanent Secretary (DPS) in the GOB Office of the President (OP) on October 2 to follow-up and deliver the points and the USG proposal for a strengthened and deepened U.S.-Botswana security partnership, as outlined in Ref A. AF [...] |
2008-10-04 15:30:00 | Embassy Gaborone | SECRET | PREL MARR MASS MCAP BC |
| 08GABORONE883 |
BOTSWANA HOSTS INTERNATIONAL S&T CONFERENCE [...] Summary. The University of Botswana (UB) hosted September 8-10 in Gaborone the second International Association of Science and Technology for Development (IASTED) Conference (IASTED TWO). The UB is placing increasing emphasis on Science and Technology (S&T) and its participation in IASTED Two [...] |
2008-10-07 07:46:00 | Embassy Gaborone | UNCLASSIFIED | TPHY ENRG SENV SOCI EAID BC |
| 08GABORONE884 |
HEALTH CARE IN BOTSWANA IN THE ERA OF HIV/AIDS [...] Summary: Botswana just celebrated its National Day on September 30 and the country has made significant progress in the fight against hunger, poverty, injustice, illiteracy and unemployment over the last forty two years. The rate of progress is, however, threatened by the HIV/AIDS epidemic, an [...] |
2008-10-07 08:01:00 | Embassy Gaborone | UNCLASSIFIED | KHIV TBIO ECON EAID SOCI BC |
| 08GABORONE909 |
BOTSWANA REAFFIRMS ITS COMMITMENT TO RIVER BASIN ACCORDS [...] Summary: Botswana hosted September 15 a USAID-sponsored regional meeting under the aegis of the Southern Africa Development Community (SADC) on river basin organizations (RBOs) for relevant GOB ministries and departments, and representatives from the four RBOs of which Botswana is a member. At [...] |
2008-10-15 12:13:00 | Embassy Gaborone | UNCLASSIFIED | TPHY SENV SOCI EAID BC |
| 08GABORONE911 |
BOTSWANA: AFRICOM DEMARCHE DELIVERED [...] (C) Pol-Econ Chief met October 8 with Mr. Shimane Kelaotswe, Assistant Director for the Americas in the Botswana Ministry of Foreign Affairs. She delivered reftel points regarding AFRICOM and left several copies of the new command's informational brochure (distributed via email from AF/PDPA). [...] |
2008-10-16 11:45:00 | Embassy Gaborone | CONFIDENTIAL | MARR PREL BC |
| 08GABORONE932 |
AU-IBAR HOSTS REGIONAL AVIAN INFLUENZA WORKSHOP [...] Summary: The African Union's Inter-Bureau for Animal Resources (AU-IBAR) hosted October 2-4 in Gaborone an Avian Influenza (AI) technical workshop for Southern Africa officials from the Ministries of Agriculture and Health, the World Health Organization (WHO), the World Animal Health Organizati [...] |
2008-10-23 14:53:00 | Embassy Gaborone | UNCLASSIFIED | KHIV TBIO ECON EAID SOCI BC |
| 08GABORONE946 |
BOTSWANA: SADC MUST TAKE A TOUGHER LINE ON ZIM [...] (C) SUMMARY: Ambassador Nolan and Botswana's Foreign Minister Phandu Skelemani discussed Zimbabwe at length during their initial meeting at the Minister's office on October 27. The GOB is doubtful that any real progress will be made during the October 27 SADC troika meeting in Harare. The ne [...] |
2008-10-28 07:39:00 | Embassy Gaborone | CONFIDENTIAL | PREL UNSC ZI BC |
| 08GABORONE948 |
AMBASSADOR'S CALL ON FOREIGN MINISTER SKELEMANI [...] (SBU) SUMMARY: Ambassador Nolan paid his initial courtesy call on Botswana's Foreign Minister Phandu Skelemani on October 27. The Ambassador stressed his intention to strengthen the already warm bilateral relationship between the U.S. and Botswana. Minister Skelemani thanked the USG for our [...] |
2008-10-28 13:05:00 | Embassy Gaborone | UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY | PREL PGOV EAID KHIV BC |
| 08GABORONE957 |
AMBASSADOR AND MINISTER PLEDGE HEALTHY BILATERAL [...] (SBU) During Ambassador Nolan's initial October 30 meeting with GOB Minister of Health Lesego Motsumi, the Minister said that Botswana truly appreciates the "phenomenal" support it receives from the United States in the health sector. She pledged her ongoing cooperation, and that from her Mini [...] |
2008-11-03 10:15:00 | Embassy Gaborone | CONFIDENTIAL | PREL PGOV KHIV TBIO EAID BC |
| 08GABORONE958 |
BOTSWANA: AMBASSADOR'S MEETING WITH FINANCE [...] (U) SUMMARY. Ambassador Nolan paid a courtesy call on Botswana's Minister of Finance and Development Planning Baledzi Gaolathe on October 28. The Finance Minister thanked the Ambassador for U.S. development assistance programs and noted that although Botswana has reached middle income status [...] |
2008-11-03 10:29:00 | Embassy Gaborone | UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY | ECON ETRD EAID ENRG PREL KHIV BC |
| 08GABORONE961 |
SADC COUNSELS "PATIENCE" ON ZIMBABWE [...] (C) SUMMARY. SADC Executive Secretary Tomaz Salomao briefed diplomats October 31 on regional economic integration, violence in the Democratic Republic of Congo, and the Zimbabwe power-sharing negotiations. He advised that all three parties in Zimbabwe are happy with mediator Thabo Mbeki and [...] |
2008-11-04 12:55:00 | Embassy Gaborone | CONFIDENTIAL | PREL ETRD ZI CO BC |
| 08GABORONE975 |
BOTSWANA: VP MERAFHE UNLOADS REGARDING ZIMBABWE [...] (C) SUMMARY: Botswana's Acting President Mompati Merafhe invited representatives from the United States, United Kingdom, Germany, and France as well as the European Union to a meeting November 6. The Acting President briefed them on Botswana's plans for the November 9 SADC Extraordinary Summi [...] |
2008-11-07 11:56:00 | Embassy Gaborone | SECRET | PREL MOPS PINR ZI BC |
| 08GABORONE979 |
FROM THE MOUTHS OF BABES - BOTSWANA PUBLIC OPINION [...] (U) United Nations Day was celebrated in Botswana on October 24 in Kang, a small, remote way station on the Trans-Kalahari Highway in the Central Kalahari District. The Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, Phandu Skelemani, many other GOB officials, and representatives f [...] |
2008-11-10 07:51:00 | Embassy Gaborone | UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY | PREL ZI BC |
| 08GABORONE989 |
GOB WILL OPPOSE NO ACTION VOTES IN THIRD COMMITTEE [...] (C) In a meeting November 12 with PolOff, Director of the Department of Multilateral Affairs in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation Mmamosadinyana Punkie Josephine Molefe stated that Botswana will oppose all no-action motions concerning Iran, Burma and the DPRK expect [...] |
2008-11-13 10:52:00 | Embassy Gaborone | CONFIDENTIAL | PHUM PREL SU BC |
| 08GABORONE990 |
BOTSWANA TO RESPECT DESIGNATION OF IRANIAN [...] In a meeting November 12, concerning the designation of the Export Development Bank of Iran (EDBI) and its affiliates under E.O. 13382, the Director of the Department of Multilateral Affairs in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation Mmamosadinyana Punkie Josephine Molefe [...] |
2008-11-13 10:52:00 | Embassy Gaborone | UNCLASSIFIED | KNNP MNUC PREL EFIN IR BC |
| 08GABORONE992 |
GOB TO RESPECT DESIGNATION OF GULF-BASED AL-QAIDA [...] (SBU) PolOff met with the Director of the Department of Multilateral Affairs in Botswana's Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation Mmamosadinyana Punkie Josephine Molefe November 12. PolOff discussed the UN Security Council 1267 Sanctions Committee approval to add three Gulf- [...] |
2008-11-13 13:32:00 | Embassy Gaborone | UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY | EFIN KTFN PTER ETTC PREL PINR UNSC BA QT BC |
| 08GABORONE994 |
SKELEMANI: ZIM POWERSHARING DEAL IS DEAD [...] (C) SUMMARY: During an office call with Foreign Minister Phandu Skelemani November 17, Ambassador Nolan asked for Botswana's view on the status of the powersharing agreement in Zimbabwe and next steps that SADC and the wider international community should take. Skelemani declared that "the de [...] |
2008-11-17 13:09:00 | Embassy Gaborone | SECRET | PREL ZI BC |
| 09GABORONE1001 |
BOTSWANA 2009 REPORT ON TERRORISM [...] Botswana has a low terrorism threat. No acts of domestic or international terrorism occurred in Botswana during 2009. 2. While there was no evidence of terrorists using Botswana in this way in 2009, two reports in recent years suggest that terrorists could use Botswana as a transit point du [...] |
2009-12-17 15:07:00 | Embassy Gaborone | UNCLASSIFIED | PTER ASEC EFIN KCRM KHLS PINS PREL AEMR BC |
| 09GABORONE1024 |
Blue Lantern License 050205274 Response [...] SUMMARY. In response to action request contained reftel, post spoke to Mr. Maheshbhai Patel of Clover Industrial Supplies ("Clover") and the Deputy Commissioner of the Botswana Police Service ("BPS") - Support Services to obtain information related to the pre-license check for Clover. Post has [...] |
2009-12-23 09:54:00 | Embassy Gaborone | UNCLASSIFIED | PARM ETRD ECON BC |
| 09GABORONE1052 |
HUMAN RIGHTS TRENDS PERTAINING TO SEXUAL ORIENTATION AND [...] While most people in Botswana appear to believe homosexuality is illegal, there is nothing in the penal code to that specifically criminalizes homosexuality. The perception may stem from provisions of the penal code that penalize "unnatural acts," and the widespread belief that this is targete [...] |
2009-12-30 15:00:00 | Embassy Gaborone | UNCLASSIFIED | PHUM PGOV BC |
| 09GABORONE122 |
BOTSWANA: DEMARCHE DELIVERED ON KOSOVO [...] (SBU) Pol/Econ Chief delivered reftel demarche to Mr. Shimane Kelaotswe, Assistant Director of the Department of Europe and the Americas at the Botswana Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Mr. Kelatotswe said that Botswana has still not recognized Kosovo and was not likely to do so at this time. He [...] |
2009-02-12 13:27:00 | Embassy Gaborone | UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY | PREL AORC ICJ KV BC |
| 09GABORONE123 |
BOTSWANA ECONOMIC BRIEFS JANUARY 2009 [...] This is the first edition of U.S. Embassy Gaborone's Botswana Economic Briefs, covering economic and commercial news from January 2009. Topics of this edition are: - Botswana Stock Exchange Awaits GOB Budget News - Consumers and Businesses Brace for Tough Year - Botswana's Economic Freedo [...] |
2009-02-12 13:48:00 | Embassy Gaborone | UNCLASSIFIED | ECON ETRD EFIN KHIV BC |
| 09GABORONE126 |
BOTSWANA: CARTAGENA PROTOCOL DEMARCHE DELIVERED [...] Pol/Econ Chief delivered the information from refetel demarche to Mrs. D. Malagas in the office of the Permanent Secretary at Botswana's Ministry of Trade and Industry on February 12. Post will also pass the same points to the office of the Permananent Secretary at the Ministry of Environmen [...] |
2009-02-13 10:52:00 | Embassy Gaborone | UNCLASSIFIED | EAGR ECON ETRD TBIO BC |
| 09GABORONE127 |
BOTSWANA: 2009 TIP REPORT [...] (SBU) The existence of a human trafficking problem in Botswana is suspected but cannot currently be corroborated by reliable reporting. Few people in the country accurately understand the concept of human trafficking, although local religious and NGO groups are currently working to raise awar [...] |
2009-02-17 04:29:00 | Embassy Gaborone | UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY | PHUM KTIP KCRM SMIG KFRD ASEC PREF ELAB BC |
| 09GABORONE130 |
DEMARCHE DELIVERED: DURBAN REVIEW CONFERENCE [...] (SBU) Ambassador Nolan delivered the points from reftel to Botswana's Minister of Foreign Affairs Phandu Skelemani on February 18. In addition, Pol/Econ Chief delivered a non-paper regarding the Durban Review Conference to Mr. Shimane Kelaotswe, Assistant Director of the MFA's Europe and the [...] |
2009-02-18 14:31:00 | Embassy Gaborone | UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY | PREL PHUM UNHRC BC |
| 09GABORONE131 |
BOTSWANA ECONOMIC BRIEFS FEBRUARY 2009 [...] This is the second edition of U.S. Embassy Gaborone's Botswana Economic Briefs, covering economic and commercial news from February 2009. Topics of this edition are: - Inflation Drops Again in January 2009 - Diamond Exporters Should Look East? - Botswana Stock Exchange Falls on Fear of Bu [...] |
2009-02-19 09:54:00 | Embassy Gaborone | UNCLASSIFIED | ECON ETRD EFIN EMIN ENRG BC |
| 09GABORONE138 |
BOTSWANA: U.S. COMPANY MAY PROVIDE TEMPORARY POWER [...] (SBU) SUMMARY: DCM and Pol/Econ Chief met February 19 with Paul Marcroft of Florida-based APR Energy regarding the company's proposed short-term contract to generate 70 megawatts of electricity for the Botswana Power Corporation (BPC). The contract, which is not yet signed and has been unde [...] |
2009-02-23 12:27:00 | Embassy Gaborone | UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY | ENRG ECON ETRD BC |
| 09GABORONE153 |
BOTSWANA: RESPONSE ON CANDIDATE FOR UN JUDICIAL [...] (SBU) In response to the action request contained in State 16118, post contacted Botswana's Attorney General, Dr. Athaliah Molokomme, for her personal views on the suitability of Botswana candidate Justice Ebrahim-Carstens to serve in the referenced judicial position at the United Nations. A [...] |
2009-02-27 10:56:00 | Embassy Gaborone | UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY | PREL AORC KUNR UNGA BC |
| 09GABORONE157 |
DEMARCHE DELIVERED: U.S. POLICY IN IRAQ TALKING [...] (SBU) On March 2, Pol/Econ Officer delivered the points from reftel to Mr. Shimane Kelaotswe, Assistant Director of the MFA's Europe and the America's Division and delivered a non-paper regarding the U.S. Policy in Iraq. The GOB was already familiar with the new policy announced by President [...] |
2009-03-02 12:52:00 | Embassy Gaborone | UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY | IZ MOPS PREL BC |
| 09GABORONE158 |
DEMARCHE DELIVERED: UN HUMAN RIGHTS COUNCIL AND [...] (SBU) On March 2, Pol/Econ Officer delivered the points from reftel to Mr. Shimane Kelaotswe, Assistant Director of the MFA's Europe and the America's Division and delivered non-papers regarding the Durban Review Conference and the U.S. resumption of participation as an observer at the approp [...] |
2009-03-02 14:37:00 | Embassy Gaborone | UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY | PHUM PREL UNHCR BC |
| 09GABORONE174 |
ZIMBABWE, SADC, THE WEST -- WHO OWNS THE STORE? [...] (C) Foreign Minister Phandu Skelemani convoked resident G-8 Missions France, Germany, Japan, the U.S. and the UK as well as the EU on March 6 to brief on current GOB thinking on Zimbabwe and Sudan (septel). He and President Khama had "had a chat" earlier in the day and discussed, inter alia, t [...] |
2009-03-08 14:48:00 | Embassy Gaborone | CONFIDENTIAL | PREL PGOV EAID EFIN BC ZI SADC |
| 09GABORONE175 |
BOTSWANA TO RESPECT ICC RULING, EXIT SUDAN [...] (C) Foreign Minister Phandu Skelemani convoked resident G-8 Missions France, Germany, Japan, the U.S. and UK, as well as the EU on March 6 to brief on current GOB thinking on Sudan and Zimbabwe (septel). Taking note of the International Criminal Court indictment again Sudan President Bashir, [...] |
2009-03-09 04:35:00 | Embassy Gaborone | CONFIDENTIAL | PREL PHUM KDEM MASS BC SU |
| 09GABORONE189 |
Botswana Political Briefs February 2009 [...] (U) The following is a compilation of February 2009 political highlights from Botswana. This cable covers: - University of Botswana Re-Opens - First Cholera Death Reported in Botswana - Red Cross Completes Refugee Fund Project - BDP May Change Party Leadership Rules - BDP Wants to Improve [...] |
2009-03-10 13:30:00 | Embassy Gaborone | UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY | PGOV PREF SCUL SOCI BC |
| 09GABORONE190 |
BOTSWANA ECONOMIC BRIEFS MARCH 2009 [...] This is the third edition of U.S. Embassy Gaborone's Botswana Economic Briefs, covering economic and commercial news from February 2009. Topics of this edition are: - Financial Intelligence Agency Coming - Mmamabula Power Project Ready to go by Mid-Year - Diamond Exports Plunge 90 Percent [...] |
2009-03-10 14:12:00 | Embassy Gaborone | UNCLASSIFIED | ECON ETRD EFIN EMIN PTER ENRG BC |
| 09GABORONE209 |
AMBASSADOR'S CALL ON SADC EXECUTIVE SECRETARY [...] (SBU) SUMMARY: Ambassador Nolan had his first office call with Dr. Tomaz Salomao, the Executive Secretary of the Southern African Development Community (SADC), at SADC headquarters in Gaborone March 13. The Ambassador presented the letter designating him as the Secretary's Special Represent [...] |
2009-03-18 08:46:00 | Embassy Gaborone | UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY | PREL MASS ETRD EAID ZI BC |
| 09GABORONE21 |
DEMARCHE DELIVERED: SADC HUMANITARIAN AID TO [...] (SBU) On January 8, A/DCM Heather Merritt met with Mr. Ernest Mwemutsi, Senior Finance Officer for SADC at the organization's headquarters in Gaborone. Mwemutsi is the "Officer in Charge" at SADC this week, as all other senior officials are out of the country. A/DCM delivered reftel demarche [...] |
2009-01-08 12:54:00 | Embassy Gaborone | CONFIDENTIAL | PREL EAID SADC ZI BC |
| 09GABORONE233 |
BOTSWANA: U.S. DIAMOND FIRM WAITING OUT THE GLOBAL [...] (SBU) SUMMARY: U.S. diamond manufacturing and distribution company Lazare Kaplan International (LKI) recently completed construction of a $10 million factory in Gaborone, but has suspended local operations and retrenched staff due to the global economic crisis. LKI's Botswana Managing Direc [...] |
2009-03-20 07:44:00 | Embassy Gaborone | UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY | ETRD EMIN EFIN EAID BC |
| 09GABORONE235 |
WESTERN BOTSWANA: STILL STRUGGLING DESPITE GOB [...] No summary [...] |
2009-03-20 09:16:00 | Embassy Gaborone | CONFIDENTIAL | PGOV ECON SENV PHUM PINR BC |
| 09GABORONE240 |
MOST SAN CHOOSE ASSISTANCE OVER TRADITION [...] (SBU) Summary. PolOff traveled with a San guide to the ghost town of Xade, a former San settlement within the Central Kalahari Game Reserve (CKGR) as well as the village of New Xade, a new San community near but outside the reserve. New Xade's population is almost entirely dependent on GOB a [...] |
2009-03-24 12:36:00 | Embassy Gaborone | UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY | PGOV ECON SENV PHUM PINR BC |
| 09GABORONE25 |
BRITISH VIEWS ON BOTSWANA, ZIMBABWE [...] (C) Summary: Charge d'Affaires and A/DCM met with the British High Commissioner to Botswana Frank Martin January 7 at his office. The meeting was a continuation of long standing close cooperation and information sharing between the U.S. Embassy and UKHC in Gaborone. Martin recently returned [...] |
2009-01-09 07:26:00 | Embassy Gaborone | CONFIDENTIAL | PREL PGOV ECON ZI BC |
| 09GABORONE265 |
BOTSWANA POLITICAL BRIEFS FOR MARCH 2009 [...] The following is a compilation of March 2009 political highlights from Botswana. This cable covers: - BDP Proposes More Special MP's - Controversy over Child Rights Bill - President Khama Refuses Three Judicial Appointments - BNF In-Fighting Continues - Visit by UN Expert on Indigenous Pe [...] |
2009-04-01 11:43:00 | Embassy Gaborone | UNCLASSIFIED | PGOV PHUM KDEM MARR KHIV BC |
| 09GABORONE273 |
BOTSWANA: SEEKING CLOSURE ON ART/REFUGEE ISSUE [...] (SBU) SUMMARY: Ambassador Nolan met with Minister of Health Lesego Motsumi to try to bring closure to the long-pending issue of whether and how to provide antiretroviral therapy (ART) to registered refugees in Botswana infected with HIV/AIDS. The Ambassador explained that the USG's commitme [...] |
2009-04-02 14:28:00 | Embassy Gaborone | UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY | PREF KHIV EAID PGOV BC |
| 09GABORONE275 |
BOTSWANA ECONOMIC BRIEFS APRIL 2009 [...] This is the fourth edition of U.S. Embassy Gaborone's Botswana Economic Briefs, covering economic and commercial news from March 2009. Topics of this edition are: - Moody's Downgrades Botswana - Botswana Inflation likely to hit Single Digit in 2009 - Botswana Ranked No. 1 in Africa for Mi [...] |
2009-04-03 04:25:00 | Embassy Gaborone | UNCLASSIFIED | ECON ETRD EFIN EAIR PGOV BC |
| 09GABORONE277 |
BOTSWANA READOUT ON ZIMBABWE, MADAGASCAR [...] (C) SUMMARY: Foreign Minister Skelemani spent two hours on April 3 briefing Ambassador Nolan and other Chiefs of Mission on the proceedings of the March 30 SADC Summit. Skelemani was frustrated by the unconstitutional change of power in Madagascar, and he was disappointed that the situation [...] |
2009-04-03 11:52:00 | Embassy Gaborone | CONFIDENTIAL | PREL EAID KPKO ZI MA BC |
| 09GABORONE307 |
BOTSWANA: PRESIDENT KHAMA SHUFFLES CABINET [...] (U) On April 3 Botswana's President Ian Khama announced a series of cabinet changes. He dropped prominent Minister Daniel Kwelagobe and appointed two new Assistant Ministers. Daniel Kwelagobe had served as the Minister in the Office of the President responsible for Public Service since April [...] |
2009-04-15 12:31:00 | Embassy Gaborone | UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY | PGOV KDEM BC |
| 09GABORONE309 |
BOTSWANA: MADAGASCAR DEMARCHE [...] On April 15 Pol/Econ Chief delivered the demarche (Ref A) to Mr. Nkoloi Nkoloi, Director for Europe and the America's at Botswana's Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Nkoloi said that the GOB's unhappiness at the turn of events in Madagascar is clear, and he referenced the Ministry's March 18 press [...] |
2009-04-15 14:33:00 | Embassy Gaborone | UNCLASSIFIED | PREL EAID BC MA |
| 09GABORONE310 |
BOTSWANA: NONCOMMITTAL ON KOSOVO IFI MEMBERSHIP [...] (C) Pol/Econ Chief delivered reftel demarche April 15 to Mr. Nkoloi Nkoloi, Director of the Europe and the Americas Division at Botswana's Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Nkoloi said that Botswana has not yet decided whether or not to recognize Kosovo and made no indication of whether or not Bo [...] |
2009-04-15 14:34:00 | Embassy Gaborone | CONFIDENTIAL | PREL EFIN BC KV |
| 09GABORONE313 |
BOTSWANA: TERRORISM FINANCE COORDINATION OFFICERS [...] Per reftel instruction, Embassy Gaborone has designated the following officers as responsible for Terrorism Finance Coordination in Botswana: Terrorism Finance Coordination Officer (Principal) Heather Merritt Political/Economic Section Chief Phone: 267-395-3982, x2251 Email: MerrittHC@s [...] |
2009-04-17 10:30:00 | Embassy Gaborone | UNCLASSIFIED | EFIN ETTC PTER KTFN BC |
| 09GABORONE315 |
BOTSWANA: DEMARCHE DELIVERED ON UN HUMAN RIGHTS [...] Embassy Gaborone delivered the message in Ref A to the Government of Botswana via diplomatic note on April 16. Pol/Econ Chief also discussed the USG's candidacy for the UN Human Rights Council with Mr. Nkoloi Nkoloi, Director for Europe and the Americas at the Botswana Ministry of Foreign Aff [...] |
2009-04-17 10:56:00 | Embassy Gaborone | UNCLASSIFIED | PHUM PREL BC |
| 09GABORONE322 |
BOTSWANA: DIAMOND MINES REOPEN, FLOODS IN NORTHWEST [...] On April 15, Debswana (the mining company that is a joint venture between DeBeers and the Government of Botswana) re-opened its three main diamond mines at Jwaneng, Letlhakane and Orapa. Debswana's mines are normally closed for 4-6 weeks over the Christmas holidays, however this year the holid [...] |
2009-04-21 08:19:00 | Embassy Gaborone | UNCLASSIFIED | EMIN ECON CASC SENV BC |
| 09GABORONE323 |
Clinton Foundation and Malaria No More Donate Nets to the [...] This message is a revision of reftel. 2. Summary: The village of Gumare in the Okavango District in North West, Botswana was buzzing with excitement on February 14, 2009, when most people in the village converged at the Kgotla to launch and celebrate the generous donation of Long Lasting Ins [...] |
2009-04-21 14:09:00 | Embassy Gaborone | UNCLASSIFIED | SENV ECON EAID AO BC |
| 09GABORONE326 |
BOTSWANA'S BUDGET IS TRANSPARENT [...] In response to reftel Embassy Gaborone provides the following information about the Government of Botswana's budget: - The GOB is receiving FY09 assistance. - The budget for the GOB is publicly available. Budget information is available online at http://www.gov.bw and through the gove [...] |
2009-04-22 12:13:00 | Embassy Gaborone | UNCLASSIFIED | EAID ECON PREL BC |
| 09GABORONE336 |
BOTSWANA FM BRIEFS ON ZIM, MADAGASCAR, LESOTHO, [...] (C) SUMMARY: Foreign Minister Skelemani invited a select group of resident diplomats to a briefing at the Ministry on April 24. Skelemani clarified recent press reports regarding GOB financial assistance to Zimbabwe, explaining that the only support Botswana could offer would be loan guarante [...] |
2009-04-27 13:11:00 | Embassy Gaborone | CONFIDENTIAL | PREL EAID EFIN KN MA LT ZI BC |
| 09GABORONE346 |
BOTSWANA: STILL NONCOMMITTAL ON KOSOVO IFI VOTES [...] Pol/Econ Chief transmitted the information from Ref A to Mr. Nkoloi Nkoloi, the Director for Europe and the Americas at the Botswana Ministry of Foreign Affairs on May 4. He offered no substantive reply to our demarche, which is the same result as the last time we demarched on this subject (R [...] |
2009-05-05 11:33:00 | Embassy Gaborone | UNCLASSIFIED | PREL EFIN KV BC |
| 09GABORONE371 |
GOB ON MADAGASCAR DEMARCHE [...] (C) SUMMARY: Ambassador Nolan met with Botswana Foreign Minister Phandu Skelemani on May 11 to deliver reftel Madagascar demarche. Ambassador was accompanied by Pol/Econ Chief and Skelemani was accompanied by MFA Director for Europe and the Americas Mr. Nkoloi Nkoloi. Because Minister Skele [...] |
2009-05-13 11:06:00 | Embassy Gaborone | CONFIDENTIAL | PREL PHUM MA BC |
| 09GABORONE372 |
SADC: "DRIVE-BY DEMARCHE" DELIVERED [...] (C) Summary: After a solid week of calls and letters to the SADC Secretariat in Gaborone requesting a meeting with the SADC Executive Secretary, Ambassador Nolan was fortunate to make a rare sighting of the elusive Dr. Tomaz Salomao May 13 at a meeting and luncheon for resident Chiefs of Missio [...] |
2009-05-13 14:01:00 | Embassy Gaborone | CONFIDENTIAL | PREL PHUM SADC MA BC |
| 09GABORONE400 |
GABORONE SSHF STATUS REPORT FOR FY 2008 [...] Summary: During FY 2008, Embassy Gaborone received an allocation of USD 40,000 for the Ambassador's Special Self Help Fund Program (SSHF). Five projects were selected for funding according to SSHF selection criteria and Post objectives expressed in the Mission Strategic Plan. Providing sewin [...] |
2009-05-22 09:39:00 | Embassy Gaborone | UNCLASSIFIED | EAID BC |
| 09GABORONE444 |
GOB TO RESPECT DESIGNATION OF ABU HAQ AKA [...] (SBU) PolOff met with the Director of the Department of Multilateral Affairs in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation Mmamosadinyana Punkie Josephine Molefe May 22. PolOff discussed the UN Security Council 1267 Sanctions Committee approval to add Pakistan-based Chinese [...] |
2009-06-04 10:22:00 | Embassy Gaborone | UNCLASSIFIED | EFIN KTFN PTER ETTC PREL PINR UNSC BA QT |
| 09GABORONE445 |
BOTSWANA: HCOC DEMARCHE REPLY [...] (SBU) PolOff met with the Director of the Department of Multilateral Affairs in the Botswana Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation Mmamosadinyana Punkie Josephine Molefe May 22. PolOff discussed the Hague Code of Conduct Against Ballistic Missile Proliferation ("HCOC") and [...] |
2009-06-04 10:28:00 | Embassy Gaborone | UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY | MTCRE PREL MNUC KSCA ETTC TSPA BC |
| 09GABORONE448 |
BOTSWANA: 2009 REPORT ON INVESTMENT DISPUTES AND [...] In response to reftel request, Embassy Gaborone reports that there are no investment disputes in Botswana which would be candidates for inclusion in the annual report. NOLAN [...] |
2009-06-04 14:01:00 | Embassy Gaborone | UNCLASSIFIED | EINV CASC KIDE OPIC PGOV BC |
| 09GABORONE457 |
AMBASSADOR'S MEETING WITH SADC DIRECTOR FOR PEACE [...] (C) SUMMARY: As part of post's ongoing efforts to increase engagement with SADC, Ambassador met with Lt. Gen. (rtd.) Tanki Mothae, the Director of the Organ on Politics, Defence, and Security, at the SADC headquarters in Gaborone on June 8, 2009. The Ambassador reiterated our request that U.S [...] |
2009-06-09 05:00:00 | Embassy Gaborone | CONFIDENTIAL | PREL MASS EAID KPKO SADC BC |
| 09GABORONE460 |
BOTSWANA: DEMARCHE DELIVERED ON UN ICSC CANDIDATE [...] Pol/Econ Chief delivered reftel demarche June 9 to Mr. Nkoloi Nkoloi, Director of the Department of Europe and the Americas at the Botswana Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Poloff stressed Ms. Myers long experience in personnel matters, including her exemplary service on the ICSC. She also noted [...] |
2009-06-09 08:23:00 | Embassy Gaborone | UNCLASSIFIED | PREL AORC APER KAWC KJUS KUNR UNGA BC |
| 09GABORONE475 |
MEDIA FRENZY OVER SUSPECT SHOT BY SECURITY OFFICERS [...] (SBU) SUMMARY: On May 13 at approximately 2300 hours, John Kalafatis, a suspected criminal, was shot and killed in Gaborone, allegedly by military intelligence officers. Though government spokespersons say that Kalafatis was killed during an exchange of gunfire while resisting a legitimate arr [...] |
2009-06-11 08:14:00 | Embassy Gaborone | UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY | PHUM PGOV KDEM MOPS ASEC KCRM BC |
| 09GABORONE479 |
SADC SECURITY CHIEF IMPRESSED BY ILEA [...] (C) On June 11 Ambassador Nolan and P/E Chief Merritt accompanied Lieutenant General (retired) Tanki Mothae, SADC's Director of the Organ on Politics, Defense, and Security on a visit to the U.S.-funded International Law Enforcement Acadey (ILEA) in Otse, approximately 45 minutes outsideof Gab [...] |
2009-06-15 07:59:00 | Embassy Gaborone | CONFIDENTIAL | PREL KJUS KCRM SNAR MASS SADC BC |
| 09GABORONE480 |
BOTSWANA ECONOMIC BRIEFS MAY 2009 [...] This is the fifth edition of U.S. Embassy Gaborone's Botswana Economic Briefs, covering economic and commercial news from May 2009. Topics of this edition are: - China - Botswana's Potential Diamond Market - World Bank Praises BEDIA - Botswana Edges Closer to Recession - A Boost for Moru [...] |
2009-06-15 09:15:00 | Embassy Gaborone | UNCLASSIFIED | ECON ETRD EMIN ENRG BC |
| 09GABORONE481 |
SADC REQUEST TO TOUR IBB FACILITY IN SELIBE-PHIKWE [...] (C) SUMMARY: Embassy Gaborone received a diplomatic note from the Government of Botswana late in the afternoon June 15 requesting that a delegation from the SADC troika team "investigating the allegation that Botswana trained MDC cadres" be granted permission to visit the IBB Transmitting Stat [...] |
2009-06-15 15:52:00 | Embassy Gaborone | CONFIDENTIAL | PREL ASEC SADC BC |
| 09GABORONE485 |
SADC TROIKA "INVESTIGATES" IBB FACILITY [...] (C) SUMMARY: A SADC investigation team embarked June 17 on a tour of alleged training facilities and other sites allegedly used by Botswana to harm Zimbabwean interests. The delegation's first stop was the U.S. government's IBB/VOA transmitter station in Selibe-Phikwe. The Ambassador and Pol [...] |
2009-06-18 15:24:00 | Embassy Gaborone | CONFIDENTIAL | PREL OIIP SADC ZI BC |
| 09GABORONE486 |
BOTSWANA AND IRAN: FOOTBALL AND DIPLOMACY [...] (C) On June 9, the Botswana Football Association (BFA), the governing body for soccer in Botswana, announced plans for a match between the Iranian national soccer team and Botswana's national team the Zebras to be held July 5 in Gaborone. Botswana, like the rest of the Southern Africa, is try [...] |
2009-06-19 06:00:00 | Embassy Gaborone | CONFIDENTIAL | PREL IR BC |
| 09GABORONE488 |
DEMARCHE DELIVERED: SADC SUMMIT ON MADAGASCAR [...] (C) Ambassador Nolan met with Botswana's Ministry of Foreign Affairs Permanent Secretary Samuel Outlule on June 19 to deliver reftel demarche regarding the upcoming SADC summit on Madagascar. Outlule told the Ambassador that he was leaving this afternoon for the summit and that the Botswana d [...] |
2009-06-19 12:00:00 | Embassy Gaborone | CONFIDENTIAL | PREL SADC MA BC |
| 09GABORONE489 |
FACTIONAL TENSIONS WITHIN BDP INCREASE [...] Infighting between two factions of the ruling Botswana Democratic Party (BDP) seems to be intensifying as the party's annual congress nears. One faction is led by Vice President Mompati Merafe and Education Minister Jacob Nkate, while the other faction is led by BDP Chairman and former Ministe [...] |
2009-06-22 15:03:00 | Embassy Gaborone | UNCLASSIFIED | PGOV PHUM KDEM BC |
| 09GABORONE517 |
Letter from President Khama to President Obama [...] SUMMARY: Embassy Gaborone received a diplomatic note July 6, 2009 transmitting a letter from Botswana's President Ian Khama to U.S. President Barack Obama. In addition to congratulating the United States on the anniversary of our independence, President Khama's letter offers thanks for U.S. as [...] |
2009-07-07 12:23:00 | Embassy Gaborone | UNCLASSIFIED | OPDC OTRA PREL KHIV EAID BC |
| 09GABORONE52 |
BOTSWANA 2009 CHILD LABOR REPORT UPDATE [...] (U) Summary. Although there were no prosecutions in 2008, child labor exists in Botswana but not in its worst forms. Education is not compulsory and children between the ages of 15 and 18 can work although there are some restrictions on the type of work they can do. All stakeholders actively [...] |
2009-01-20 10:06:00 | Embassy Gaborone | UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY | ELAB EIND ETRD PHUM SOCI BC |
| 09GABORONE545 |
CONTROVERSY SURROUNDS APPOINTMENT OF NEW BTV HEAD, [...] (U) Summary: On July 10, Molefhe Sejoe was announced as the new general manager of the state-owned Botswana Television (BTV). Sejoe is a retired police officer, and critics of the appointment say this is another example of President Khama's pattern of appointing military and police officials [...] |
2009-07-14 15:50:00 | Embassy Gaborone | CONFIDENTIAL | PGOV PHUM SOCI BC |
| 09GABORONE551 |
BOTSWANA: POLITICAL UPDATES FOR JULY 2009. [...] (U) Botswana's Vice-President Mompati Merafhe and Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation Phandu Skelemani attended the African Union (AU) Summit held in Sirte, Libya July 1-3 and described it as "a near circus." Addressing a press conference in Gaborone after returning from [...] |
2009-07-15 16:25:00 | Embassy Gaborone | UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY | PGOV PREL PHUM KDEM BC |
| 09GABORONE563 |
BOTSWANA: ZIMBABWE DEMARCHE DELIVERED [...] (U) This is a response to an action request contained in State 70664. 2. (U) A/DCM and PolOff met July 15 with Nkoloi Nkoloi, the Director of Europe and the Americas in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, and the Assistant Director of Europe and the Americas, L [...] |
2009-07-17 12:47:00 | Embassy Gaborone | UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY | PREL SADC BC ZI |
| 09GABORONE565 |
BOTSWANA: POLITICAL CONGRESSES THIS WEEKEND [...] The President's Day holiday, July 18 through 21, are days set aside by Botswana's political parties for their annual congresses. It is at these congresses that parties review their policies and elect the executive committees that run the parties. The Botswana Democratic Party (BDP) elects it [...] |
2009-07-17 13:03:00 | Embassy Gaborone | UNCLASSIFIED | PGOV PHUM KDEM BC |
| 09GABORONE566 |
BOTSWANA ECONOMIC BRIEFS JUNE 2009 [...] This is the sixth edition of U.S. Embassy Gaborone's Botswana Economic Briefs, covering economic and commercial news from June 2009. Topics of this edition are: - Major Copper /Silver Pipeline for Ghanzi - Botswana Remains Optimistic About SACU - Botswana Economy to Shrink - IMF - Govern [...] |
2009-07-17 13:25:00 | Embassy Gaborone | UNCLASSIFIED | ECON ETRD EFIN BC |
| 09GABORONE567 |
AMB, SADC HEAD DISCUSS ZIMBABWE, MADAGASCAR, [...] (C) SUMMARY. Ambassador Nolan met with Dr. Tomaz Salomao, Executive Secretary of the Southern African Development Community (SADC) on July 15 at SADC House to deliver reftel demarche on Zimbabwe and discuss other pending issues. According to Salomao, SADC believes that all requests to revie [...] |
2009-07-21 13:07:00 | Embassy Gaborone | CONFIDENTIAL | PREL MASS SADC BC |
| 09GABORONE570 |
FRAUD SUMMARY: BOTSWANA JULY 2009 [...] No summary [...] |
2009-07-22 09:51:00 | Embassy Gaborone | UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY | KFRD CVIS CPAS CMGT ASEC BC |
| 09GABORONE578 |
BOTSWANA: AGOA FORUM PARTICIPATION [...] Mr. Nkoloi Nkoloi, the Director for Europe and the Americas at Botswana's Ministry of Foreign Affairs, told A/DCM July 23 that the Government of Botswana delegation to the AGOA Forum in Nairobi will be led by Phandu Skelemani, the Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation. Min [...] |
2009-07-23 09:21:00 | Embassy Gaborone | UNCLASSIFIED | PREL ETRD ECON BC |
| 09GABORONE583 |
GOB WILL NOT INTERVENE IN IMPENDING SEIZURE OF [...] No summary [...] |
2009-07-24 13:15:00 | Embassy Gaborone | CONFIDENTIAL | PREL KLIG ABLD AMGT ASEC BC |
| 09GABORONE584 |
KHAMA TO DECIDE ON RESIDENCY FOR USG DEPENDENT [...] (U) This is an action request, please see paragraph 6. 2. (C) The GOB's unwillingness to issue an exemption certificate (the diplomatic residency permit) for the adopted child of a gay Mission employee (reftel) was raised both during a telephone conversation with the Minister of Foreign Aff [...] |
2009-07-24 15:57:00 | Embassy Gaborone | CONFIDENTIAL | PREL AMGT APER BC |
| 09GABORONE626 |
PRESIDENT TAKES ACTIVE INTEREST IN TOURISM SECTOR [...] (U) SUMMARY: Botswana's 2009 "Tourism Pitso" (an annual seminar for government and tourism operators) was attended by many high level government officials, including H.E. President Ian Khama. The President participated in the conference for over two and a half hours, highlighting the importanc [...] |
2009-08-07 05:24:00 | Embassy Gaborone | UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY | ECON ETRD SENV PGOV EAIR SCUL BC |
| 09GABORONE629 |
BOTSWANA: TENTATIVE UNGA PARTICIPATION INFO [...] The Government of Botswana has not yet made final plans regarding its representation during the 64th UN General Assembly. The senior government leadership are occupied with political campaigns, as Botswana will hold its general election in early October. (Note: The exact election date has not [...] |
2009-08-07 11:20:00 | Embassy Gaborone | UNCLASSIFIED | PREL UNGA OTRA OVIP BC |
| 09GABORONE630 |
BOTSWANA POLITICAL BRIEFS JULY 2009 [...] (U) Botswana's ruling political party the BDP went into its annual congress July 17-20 divided along factional lines. One faction was led by Education Minister Jacob Nkate and Vice President Mompati Merafhe (and supported by President Ian Khama), while the other was led by veteran party chai [...] |
2009-08-07 14:50:00 | Embassy Gaborone | UNCLASSIFIED | PGOV PHUM KDEM BC |
| 09GABORONE632 |
BOTSWANA: GOB INTERVENTIONS ON H1N1 [...] Summary: As of July 31, 2009, there were only 13 confirmed cases of H1N1 influenza in Botswana. However, government actions to inform the public and screen for the disease began in late April. The Botswana Ministry of Health has issued a series of notices in local media to alert the public ab [...] |
2009-08-10 05:34:00 | Embassy Gaborone | UNCLASSIFIED | KFLU EAID SOCI TBIO PGOV BC |
| 09GABORONE663 |
REPORT ON SPEAKER/SPECIALIST NTARE MWINE [...] SUMMARY: Mr. Ntare Mwine, an Ugandan-born American playwright, film-maker and actor, worked with PAS Gaborone on a program on HIV/AIDS advocacy from June 15-20. Mwine reviewed the theatre pieces that directors from the local NGO Youth Health Organization (YOHO) had produced since a previous wo [...] |
2009-08-20 09:18:00 | Embassy Gaborone | UNCLASSIFIED | OIIP KPAO OEXC SCUL KHIV BC |
| 09GABORONE665 |
A SMART POWER SUCCESS STORY IN AFRICA -- THE CASE [...] (C) The U.S.-Botswana partnership is a model for what smart power could achieve in Africa. Over four decades, Botswana has invested in its people, promoted independent institutions, and trained and deployed a civilian-controlled military for national development priorities. We have multipli [...] |
2009-08-20 16:29:00 | Embassy Gaborone | CONFIDENTIAL | PREL PGOV SENV MASS ETRD KHIV EAID MARR EINV |
| 09GABORONE670 |
SALOMAO OUTLINES AMBITIOUS SADC SUMMIT AGENDA [...] (C) Summary: SADC Executive Secretary Tomaz Salomao told the Gaborone diplomatic corps on August 25 that the upcoming September 7-8 summit hopes to tackle a host of political and economic issues. Particular priorities will be reviewing progress made in resolving political impasses in eastern [...] |
2009-08-25 15:03:00 | Embassy Gaborone | CONFIDENTIAL | PREL PGOV ETRD AEC CVIS BC |
| 09GABORONE68 |
UPDATE ON U.S.-BOTSWANA SECURITY COOPERATION [...] (S) Summary: Ambassador Nolan called on GOB Minister of Defence, Justice, and Security D. Ndelu Seretse on January 22 in Gaborone, as mutual schedules and travel had defered this important meeting until now. While it was an initial courtesy call, we used the opportunity to do some business a [...] |
2009-01-26 12:47:00 | Embassy Gaborone | SECRET | PREL MARR MASS MCAP EAID BC |
| 09GABORONE682 |
UNDERSTANDING AND ENGAGING BOTSWANA'S IAN KHAMA [...] (C) Reformer. Visionary. Maverick. Autocrat. All are descriptions of Botswana's President Ian Khama that Embassy staff have heard during the year of his presidency, with the viewpoints driven by the speaker's political perspective. Khama has displayed elements of all four descriptions durin [...] |
2009-09-03 09:03:00 | Embassy Gaborone | CONFIDENTIAL | PGOV PINR BC |
| 09GABORONE70 |
BOTSWANA ON THE EVE OF THE JANUARY 26 SADC SUMMIT [...] (C) SUMMARY: The Acting Minister of Foreign Affairs convoked the US, UK, French, German and EU Chiefs of Mission for an urgent meeting on Sunday January 25 to discuss the SADC Extraordinary Summit on Zimbabwe. Minister Seretse said that Botswana will only recognize a Zimbabwean government in [...] |
2009-01-27 08:27:00 | Embassy Gaborone | CONFIDENTIAL | PREL PHUM ZI BC |
| 09GABORONE701 |
BOTSWANA WILL NOT ATTEND POTUS LUNCH [...] No summary [...] |
2009-09-09 15:32:00 | Embassy Gaborone | UNCLASSIFIED | PREL UNGA BC |
| 09GABORONE737 |
UNGA FOOD SECURITY EVENT: BOTSWANA REPLY [...] No summary [...] |
2009-09-17 12:34:00 | Embassy Gaborone | UNCLASSIFIED | PREL ETRD EAID EAGR UNGA BC |
| 09GABORONE738 |
BOTSWANA NON-COMMITTAL ON KOSOVO [...] No summary [...] |
2009-09-17 12:43:00 | Embassy Gaborone | UNCLASSIFIED | PREL AORC KV BC |
| 09GABORONE785 |
BOTSWANA 'S ECONOMIC SUCCESS OFFERS LESSONS FOR [...] Summary. Botswana is a remarkable economic success story in Africa. Since independence in 1966, it has escaped poverty to become a middle income, democratically stable success, avoiding the numerous pitfalls that commonly affect mineral rich countries in Africa. There is no single reason for [...] |
2009-10-06 15:59:00 | Embassy Gaborone | UNCLASSIFIED | ECON ETRD EFIN EAID BC |
| 09GABORONE786 |
Botswana Election Primer [...] Summary. Botswana will hold its eleventh general election on October 16. Voters in each of the country's 57 constituencies will choose their Member of Parliament as well as candidates for local councils. Botswana's President is not directly elected. Botswana's three main political parties ha [...] |
2009-10-06 15:59:00 | Embassy Gaborone | UNCLASSIFIED | PGOV KDEM BC |
| 09GABORONE799 |
BOTSWANA ELECTION: BDP EXPECTED TO WIN AGAIN [...] (SBU) Summary. Botswana's general election will take place in one week, on October 16. Because there is no polling data available, any prediction of election results is an educated guess. Embassy officers have monitored the media and spoken with journalists, politicians, and other observers t [...] |
2009-10-09 11:25:00 | Embassy Gaborone | UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY | PGOV KDEM BC |
| 09GABORONE815 |
Botswana: Khama Retains Presidency [...] Botswana held its tenth general election on Friday October 16. According to observers from the Southern African Development Community (SADC), who issued a preliminary statement October 18, the polls were "credible, peaceful, free, and fair." Diplomatic observers, including three teams from the [...] |
2009-10-18 16:04:00 | Embassy Gaborone | UNCLASSIFIED | PGOV KDEM BC |
| 09GABORONE82 |
BOTSWANA: READ-OUT FROM MFA ON SADC SUMMIT [...] (C) SUMMARY: Ambassador Samuel Otlule, the Permanent Secretary at Botswana's Ministry of Foreign Affairs confirmed that the Communique issued by SADC at the close of the January 26 Extraordinary Summit on Zimbabwe was a "consensus document" and was supported by Botswana. Otlule characterized [...] |
2009-01-28 14:59:00 | Embassy Gaborone | CONFIDENTIAL | PREL PHUM ZI BC |
| 09GABORONE832 |
BOTSWANA: PRESIDENT AND PARLIAMENT SWORN IN, [...] President Seretse Khama Ian Khama was sworn in as the fourth President of Botswana in a ceremony early on the morning of October 20. In his acceptance speech President Khama focused attention on the need to increase food production in Botswana, improve education and skills development, encour [...] |
2009-10-22 14:37:00 | Embassy Gaborone | UNCLASSIFIED | PGOV KDEM BC |
| 09GABORONE836 |
BOTSWANA: FOOD SECURITY DEMARCHE DELIVERED [...] No summary [...] |
2009-10-23 11:11:00 | Embassy Gaborone | UNCLASSIFIED | EAGR EAID ETRD BC |
| 09GABORONE837 |
BOTSWANA CANDIDATE: 5TH COMMITTEE ELECTIONS [...] (U) Reftel requested post to obtain information about Botswana's candidate for the Advisory Committee on Administrative and Budgetary Questions (ACABQ), Mr. Collen V. Kelapile. Mr. Kelapile is a career diplomat who joined Botswana's Ministry of Foreign Affairs in 1995. His early work with th [...] |
2009-10-23 11:11:00 | Embassy Gaborone | UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY | AORC UNGA BC |
| 09GABORONE847 |
MFA'S THOUGHTS ON ZIMBABWE SITUATION [...] (C) Summary: From Botswana's point of view, Zimbabwe's Global Political Agreement (GPA) is deeply flawed and unlikely to lead to any meaningul power sharing in the foreseeable future, accoding to Ambassador Zibane Ntakhwana, Africa and Asia Department Director in the Ministry of Foreign Affair [...] |
2009-10-27 11:14:00 | Embassy Gaborone | CONFIDENTIAL | PGOV PREL KDEM BC ZI |
| 09GABORONE850 |
ZIMBABWE'S COLLAPSE A MIXED ECONOMIC BAG FOR [...] Summary: Zimbabwean migration has had both negative and positive impact on neighboring Botswana. On the downside, Zimbabweans are widely blamed for increased crime; they are accused of taking jobs from Batswana; and the government has been forced to spend its limited resources on both the dep [...] |
2009-10-27 15:05:00 | Embassy Gaborone | UNCLASSIFIED | ECON PREL PGOV ZI BC |
| 09GABORONE853 |
BOTSWANA: SCENESETTER FOR PRESIDENT IAN KHAMA'S [...] (C) Botswana's President Ian Khama visits Washington November 5-7 to chair the Conservation International annual meeting in a confident mood, fortified by a strong election victory on October 16 that allowed him to assume the presidency for a 5-year term. Khama has emerged as a principled, ou [...] |
2009-10-30 09:34:00 | Embassy Gaborone | SECRET | PREL PGOV ECON KHIV MASS SENV KPKO OVIP BC |
| 09GABORONE872 |
BOTSWANA: NONCOMMITTAL RESPONSE TO ICSC DEMARCHE [...] Pol/Econ Chief met October 29 with Ms. Punkie Molefe, Director of the Department of Multilateral Affairs at the Botswana Ministry of Foreign Affairs, to discuss the candidacy of Ms. Lucretia Myers for the International Civil Service Commission. After listening to the points from the demarche [...] |
2009-10-30 11:48:00 | Embassy Gaborone | UNCLASSIFIED | PREL UNGA KAWC KUNR APER AORC BC |
| 09GABORONE873 |
BOTSWANA: RESPONSE TO THIRD COMMITTEE DEMARCHE [...] Pol/Econ Chief met October 29 with Ms. Punkie Molefe, the Director for Multilateral Affairs at the Botswana MFA, to discuss Botswana's position on upcoming UNGA Third Committee matters. Emboff noted that the GOB and USG seemed to share common views in 2008 on UNGA human rights issues, and that [...] |
2009-10-30 11:49:00 | Embassy Gaborone | UNCLASSIFIED | PREL PHUM UNGA BC |
| 09GABORONE88 |
BOTSWANA: READ-OUT FROM PRESIDENT KHAMA ON THE [...] (S) SUMMARY. During a 90 minute meeting January 29, President Khama shared his impressions of the January 26-27 SADC summit with a small group of Chiefs of Mission at his office in Gaborone. Khama described the overall dynamics of the summit and commented that he and Tanzanian President Kik [...] |
2009-01-30 13:15:00 | Embassy Gaborone | SECRET | PREL PHUM KDEM PINR ZI BC |
| 09GABORONE948 |
Botswana Merits Inclusion in Food Security Initiative [...] Botswana is Africa's most stable democracy and our closest, most reliable friend in southern Africa. Though Botswana is a middle-income country, according to the UNDP about half of its citizens still live on less than two dollars per day. According to the United Nations Food and Agricultural [...] |
2009-11-24 12:03:00 | Embassy Gaborone | UNCLASSIFIED | EAGR EAID PGOV PREL KHIV BC |
| 09GABORONE96 |
UB SUSPENDS CLASSES AFTER STUDENT STRIKES [...] SUMMARY: Students at the University of Botswana (UB) are unhappy over changes in government policy regarding their monthly allowances. The UB Student Representative Council (SRC) organized a series of demonstrations to protest the changes, and an attempted march from the university to Parliam [...] |
2009-02-06 04:53:00 | Embassy Gaborone | UNCLASSIFIED | PGOV ASEC CASC SCUL SOCI PHUM BC |
| 09GABORONE963 |
SADC ANSWERS PRESIDENTIAL DETERMINATION [...] (C) Summary. In a written submission, the SADC Secretariat told us SADC would not exclude Zimbabwe or Zimbabwean nationals from access to or participation in SADC activities. Recently, we understand French police trained several SADC member state police services -- not Zimbabwe -- to UN stan [...] |
2009-12-04 08:29:00 | Embassy Gaborone | CONFIDENTIAL | MASS PREL ETRD EAID SADC ZI BC |
| 09GABORONE98 |
BOTSWANA POLITICAL ROUND-UP JANUARY 2009 [...] The following is a compilation of January 2009 political highlights from Botswana, which did not feature in other post reporting. This cable covers: -IEC Prepares for October Elections -Political Parties in Disarray -Botswana-Zimbabwe Bilateral Meeting Scheduled -Police, Military Budgets [...] |
2009-02-06 08:36:00 | Embassy Gaborone | UNCLASSIFIED | PGOV PHUM KDEM MASS BC |
| 09GABORONE997 |
Botswana Offers Bright Prospects for GHI Success [...] This is an action request. Please see paragraph 6. 2. Summary and Action Request. The U.S.-Botswana PEPFAR partnership has yielded tremendous results over the past five years; 80 percent of citizens who need treatment receive it and 94 percent of infected mothers receive drugs to prevent t [...] |
2009-12-15 13:29:00 | Embassy Gaborone | UNCLASSIFIED | EAID KHIV KWMN KOCI BC |
| 10GABORONE110 |
BOTS-ZIM TENSIONS RISE OVER ARRESTED GOB OFFICIALS [...] (C) Summary: The Government of Botswana said it would recall its Defense and Intelligence Attaches from Harare by the end of February and expects that Zimbabwe will similarly recall its Attaches from Gaborone to protest the GOZ's January 19 arrest and continued detention of three GOB wildlife [...] |
2010-02-05 14:24:00 | Embassy Gaborone | CONFIDENTIAL | PREL PBTS ZI BC |
| 10GABORONE139 |
WELCOME TO BOTSWANA: SCENESETTER FOR CODEL [...] (SBU) Embassy Gaborone warmly welcomes Codel Meeks-Watt to Botswana. Your visit comes as the Government of Botswana, which announced its proposed FY 10/11 budget last week, attempts to maintain its social welfare and infrastructure development programs despite the global economic slowdown. Bo [...] |
2010-02-12 10:21:00 | Embassy Gaborone | UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY | OREP ECON EFIN PREL PGOV BC |
| 10GABORONE173 |
ACCREDITATION OF SAME-SEX DOMESTIC PARTNERS [...] (C) Per instructions in Ref A, Ambassador raised the issue of accreditation of same-sex domestic partners of U.S. government personnel with a senior aide to President Khama. The aide said Botswana remains a very traditional society and homosexuality is an extremely sensitive subject. She noted that [...] |
2010-02-25 14:11:00 | Embassy Gaborone | CONFIDENTIAL | APER AMGT PREL BC |
| 10GABORONE174 |
TELECOMMUNICATIONS POLICY OFFICER FOR BOTSWANA [...] This is a response to the action request contained in State 17143 requesting the identification of a telecommunications policy officer (TPO). 2. Post identifies HEATHER MERRITT, Political/Economic Chief, as the TPO for Embassy Gaborone. Ms. Merritt's email address is MerrittHC@state.gov an [...] |
2010-02-26 07:50:00 | Embassy Gaborone | UNCLASSIFIED | ECPS ECON BC |
| 10GABORONE175 |
GOB RECEIVES IRAN TRR DEMARCHE [...] (U) This is a response to the action request contained in State 70721. 2. (C) PolOff met with the Assistant Director of the Department of Europe and Americas in Botswana's Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, Lebogang Diteko, on February 25. PolOff discussed the U.S. [...] |
2010-02-26 08:01:00 | Embassy Gaborone | CONFIDENTIAL | KNNP MNUC PARM IR BC |
| 10GABORONE177 |
GOB RECEIVES DEMARCHE ON IRGC DESIGNATIONS [...] This is a response to an action request contained in State 15554. 2. PolOff met with the Assistant Director of the Department of Europe and Americas in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, Lebogang Diteko on February 25. PolOff passed information contained in ref [...] |
2010-02-26 09:09:00 | Embassy Gaborone | UNCLASSIFIED | KNNP MNUC IR GM PREL PARM EFIN BC |
| 10GABORONE71 |
TEXTING WHILE DRIVING ALREADY ILLEGAL IN BOTSWANA [...] Ambassador Nolan delivered reftel demarche on distracted driving to Daphne Kadiwa, Botswana's Chief of Protocol and a senior aide to President Khama. Kadiwa responded that under Botswana's Road Traffic Act, it is prohibited for drivers to text or otherwise use mobile phones and other interacti [...] |
2010-01-28 15:16:00 | Embassy Gaborone | UNCLASSIFIED | ECON ASEC SOCI BC |
| 85GABORONE501 |
BOTSWANA CHARGES BOPHUTHATSWANA WITH THREAT TO INVADE [...] (C) SUMMARY. THE GOVERNMENT OF BOTSWANA HAS ISSUED A PRESS RELEASE STATING THAT THE GOVERNMENT OF BOPHUTHATSWANA HAS THREATENED TO INVADE BOTSWANA UNLESS IT HALTS THE PASSAGE OF ANC CADRE THROUGH BOTSWANA INTO ITS TERRITORY AND THAT OF SOUTH AFRICA. THE RELEASE ALSO CITES PIK BOTHA AS SAYING TH [...] |
1985-02-05 12:45:00 | Embassy Gaborone | SECRET//NOFORN | PREL SF BC |
| 85GABORONE97 |
BOTSWANA NEWSPAPER CARRIES ARTICLE MISREPRESENTING [...] (U) THE GOVERNMENT-OWNED BOTSWANA DAILY NEWS (JANUARY 8, 1985) CARRIED A LONG VERBOSE OVERVIEW OF 1984, THE "ORWELLIAN" YEAR ("VIOLENCE AND DISASTER, A GLEAM OF HOPE") CREDITED TO DEREK INGRAM OF GEMINI NEWS SERVICE. ONE PARAGRAPH MISREPRESENTS ONE FACET OF CONSTRUCTIVE ENGAGEMENT IN SOUTHER [...] |
1985-01-09 15:30:00 | Embassy Gaborone | UNCLASSIFIED | PREL PGOV US SF BC |
| 85GABORONE98 |
ANGOLANS IN SADF SEEK REFUGE IN BOTSWANA [...] CONFIDENTIAL - ENTIRE TEXT. 2. SUMMARY: ON FRIDAY, JANUARY 4, TWO ANGOLAN MEMBERS OF THE SADF, WITH THEIR FAMILIES, SOUGHT REFUGEE STATUS IN BOTSWANA AND APPLIED FOR THE AMERICAN RESETTLEMENT PROGRAM. AFTER MEETING WITH EMBOFFS, THE MEN WERE SENT TO THE LOCAL UNHCR OFFICIALS TO REGISTER [...] |
1985-01-10 10:05:00 | Embassy Gaborone | CONFIDENTIAL | PREL SREF SHUM PGOV WA SF BC |
| 95GABORONE1886 |
SADC CONFLICT RESOLUTION CONFERENCE: AMBASSADOR'S [...] CONFIDENTIAL - ENTIRE TEXT. 2. AS REQUESTED REFTEL, AMBASSADOR, ACCOMPANIED BY DCM AND ODC CHIEF, MET WITH BDF COMMANDER IAN KHAMA MARCH 29 FOR A READOUT ON THE GABORONE CONFERENCE OF SADC MEMBER STATE ARMY CHIEFS OF STAFF. KHAMA SAID ONLY ANGOLA, MOZAMBIQUE AND LESOTHO WERE UNREPRESENTE [...] |
1995-04-03 13:13:00 | Embassy Gaborone | CONFIDENTIAL | PREL SADC BC |
| 95GABORONE6513 |
SOUTH AFRICA -- NOT SADC -- TO TAKE THE LEAD ON NIGERIA [...] CONTRARY TO WHAT PRESIDENT MASIRE'S PRIVATE SECRETARY TOLD US LAST WEEK, LOUIS SELEPENG, PERMANENT SECRETARY FOR POLITICAL AFFAIRS IN THE PRESIDENT'S OFFICE, CONFIDED TO THE AMBASSADOR 11/30 THAT PRESIDENT MASIRE HAD DECLINED, IN HIS CAPACITY AS CHAIRMAN OF THE SOUTHERN AFRICAN DEVELOPMENT CO [...] |
1995-12-01 15:12:00 | Embassy Gaborone | CONFIDENTIAL | PREL BC NI SF |
| 96GABORONE2824 |
STATUS OF WOMEN IN THE SADC REGION: BOTSWANA [...] SUMMARY: BOTH THE GOB AND THE BOTSWANA WOMEN'S NGO NETWORK ARE ACTIVELY DEMONSTRATING THEIR COMMITMENT TO THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE BEIJING PLATFORM OF ACTION, BOTH AT THE NATIONAL AND THE SOUTHERN AFRICAN SUB- REGIONAL LEVELS. THE GOB IS SIMULTANEOUSLY MAKING PROGRESS ON SEVERAL FRONTS, IN [...] |
1996-06-21 10:13:00 | Embassy Gaborone | UNCLASSIFIED | SOCI KWMN SADC BC |
| 97GABORONE4838 |
A SADC PRIMER: TIME FOR A REVISED EDITION? [...] SUMMARY. SOUTHERN AFRICA IS INCREASINGLY TOUTED AS THE CONTINENT'S ENGINE OF GROWTH, WITH THE SOUTHERN AFRICAN DEVELOPMENT COMMUNITY (SADC) DRIVING THE TRAIN. SADC HAS MATURED SIGNIFICANTLY SINCE ITS FORMATION IN 1992, BUT FORGING REGIONAL COOPERATION FROM NATIONALIST PROCLIVITIES IS AS DEL [...] |
1997-09-04 14:53:00 | Embassy Gaborone | CONFIDENTIAL | PREL ECIN ECON KPRP |
| 99GABORONE5380 |
THE NEW LOOK OF SADC--PRESIDENCY PLANS [...] (C) SUMMARY. THE SECRETARY'S SPECIAL REPRESENTATIVE TO SADC TRAVELED OCTOBER 11-13 TO MOZAMBIQUE TO CONSULT WITH GOM OFFICIALS ON SADC MATTERS AND PARTICULARLY ON MOZAMBIQUE'S ROLE AS CURRENT SADC PRESIDENT. FONMIN SIMAO AND OTHER GOM OFFICIALS SHARED THEIR AMBITIOUS PLANS FOR RESTRUCTURING [...] |
1999-10-19 15:03:00 | Embassy Gaborone | CONFIDENTIAL | PREL SADC MZ ZU |