The government has unveiled a revamped public works initiative, promising increased wages and a shift from short-term relief efforts toward long-term economic empowerment. The newly introduced Ikageng Public Works Programme (IPWP), overseen by the Ministry of Local Government and Traditional Affairs, was launched this month. It is set to begin phased payments of P2,500 to beneficiaries. Concurrently, the ministry is developing a centralized database to prevent overlap between recipients of the Ikageng programme and the...

Botswana has launched a landmark project that signals its emergence as a powerhouse in Africa’s clean energy future. On Thursday in Maun, the government broke ground on a 500-megawatt solar photovoltaic plant paired with a 500 megawatt-hour battery energy storage system (BESS), a move that will reshape the country’s energy landscape and position it among the continent’s leaders in energy storage development. This ambitious undertaking, a collaboration between Botswana and the Sultanate of Oman, is...

Barely a year into his tenure as chairman of the Botswana Democratic Party (BDP), Karabo Gare finds himself at the center of growing internal turmoil within the party. His leadership, which began with high hopes to restore the party’s prominence, is now being tested by deepening factional divides that threaten to unravel the BDP’s fragile unity. Once the dominant political force in Botswana for decades, the BDP is still grappling with the severe consequences of...

Mpho Balopi, the president of the Botswana Democratic Party (BDP), is currently navigating a turbulent political storm as internal tensions within the party escalate sharply. This unrest has been fueled by reports suggesting that Balopi may soon face legal proceedings tied to a corruption investigation. Sources close to the party’s central committee have disclosed that a significant faction within the BDP is urging Balopi to temporarily step aside from his leadership role. This call for...

Peter Magosi, the Director of the Directorate of Intelligence and Security (DIS), has publicly pushed back against lawmakers following parliamentary discussions centered on his recent marriage to a fellow officer. The debate, which many see as unusually personal for a legislative setting, has drawn significant attention and stirred controversy. Magosi expressed his disappointment, emphasizing that the focus should remain on national priorities rather than his private affairs. “I was disappointed and hurt that Members of...

A Congo-bound arms shipment was intercepted and halted at the Martin’s Drift Border Post, raising serious questions about transparency, protocol breaches, and the ultimate destination of the cargo. Law enforcement officials stopped a covert military shipment linked to Denel SOC Ltd as it attempted to pass through Botswana en route to the conflict-ridden Democratic Republic of Congo. The shipment, carried in a single mini truck, was seized along with the detention of its driver. Investigations...

Mpho Balopi, president of the Botswana Democratic Party (BDP), is under scrutiny by the Directorate on Corruption and Economic Crime (DCEC), with sources indicating that the investigation has wrapped up and charges may soon follow. Should prosecutors move forward, Balopi would become the third former minister from the previous government to face corruption-related allegations this year. The inquiry centers on a loan facility of roughly P5 million granted by the Citizen Entrepreneurial Development Agency (CEDA),...

A contentious dispute between the government and the residents of Pilikwe village over plans for a multi-million-pula radioactive storage facility has taken a decisive turn. Authorities have now identified a new prospective site, the Botswana International University of Science and Technology (BIUST) in Palapye. The proposed facility, which encountered staunch opposition from Pilikwe’s inhabitants for several months, is now slated for construction on the university’s main campus. Villagers in Pilikwe had vehemently opposed the project,...

The Citizen Entrepreneurial Development Agency (CEDA) is gearing up to inject a substantial P950 million into Botswana’s Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) during the 2026/27 financial year, a move that promises to reshape the landscape of citizen economic participation. This planned funding round is not just a number; it signals a strategic leap toward empowering citizen-owned businesses, bolstering job creation, and nurturing economic diversification in a country where MSMEs form the backbone of growth...

In a striking development within a high-profile corruption trial, Botswana’s chief prosecutor has stepped away from prosecuting prominent Gaborone businessman Bakang Seretse, citing a personal and professional relationship with the accused. Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) Kgosietsile Ngakaagae confirmed that he, along with his entire office, has recused themselves following the filing of fresh criminal charges against Seretse and his co-defendants. These charges, brought forth by the Directorate on Corruption and Economic Crime (DCEC), are...