On a landmark day for both African scientific achievement and global health equity, the Botswana International University of Science and Technology (BIUST) has announced a momentous milestone. Ms. Umuna Maendo, a first-year PhD student at BIUST, has been named the inaugural recipient of the HEROIC Prostate Cancer Precision Health Africa1K Fellowship. This honor not only spotlights Ms. Maendo’s exceptional research promise but also signals BIUST’s rising stature on the world stage as a hub for...

The global campaign against HIV and AIDS has reached a precarious turning point. After decades of extraordinary progress that saved millions of lives and sharply curtailed new infections and AIDS-related deaths, momentum to eliminate AIDS as a public health threat by 2030 is faltering, raising alarms that these hard-won gains could unravel. A recent report from the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS) presents a complex picture. Although the world has seen its lowest...

Botswana’s ambition to cement its place in the digital age has hit a jarring roadblock. What was supposed to be a cornerstone project for the country’s digital transformation, a Public Key Infrastructure (PKI) system funded with a hefty P423 million, has unravelled into a story of mismanagement, secrecy, and stalled progress. The collapse of this multi-million pula initiative, which promised to secure digital identities and enable encrypted government services, has left the nation grappling with...

FNB Botswana has been recognised with two prestigious accolades at the 2026 Euromoney Awards for Excellence, reaffirming its position as a leading financial institution committed to delivering meaningful help, innovation, and sustainable impact: Botswana’s Best Bank 2026 Botswana’s Best Bank for ESG 2026 The Euromoney Awards for Excellence are among the most respected and sought-after accolades in the global banking industry, recognising institutions that demonstrate exceptional leadership, innovation, resilience, and outstanding performance. This recognition comes...

The much-anticipated 11th season of Big Brother Naija officially premiered last night as 24 housemates from across Nigeria entered Biggie’s House, marking the start of what promises to be another compelling chapter of Africa’s biggest reality television show. The 24 housemates – 12 females and 12 males – drawn from diverse backgrounds bring with them distinct personalities and strategies into this year’s edition themed “Show ya sef”. Over the coming weeks, they will navigate Biggie’s challenges, nominations...

More than two years after a devastating bus crash in Limpopo, South Africa, at least 20 families affected by the St Engenas Zion Christian Church (ZCC) tragedy may receive compensation from the Road Accident Fund (RAF) before the year ends. The crash, which claimed 45 lives, left many families in Botswana grappling with grief and a complex legal battle for financial relief. While some families are nearing compensation, others face the possibility of being left...

A fierce heatwave is on its way to southern Africa. Starting October 2026, the region braces for an intense El Niño event expected to push temperatures into the punishing range of 35 to 45 degrees Celsius. Among the hardest hit will be Botswana, where residents face blistering heat and a looming threat to their livelihoods. El Niño, a climate phenomenon defined by warming of the Pacific Ocean waters, has long been a harbinger of extreme...

Prominent attorney and political leader Biggie Ganda Butale has taken the Attorney General to the High Court, challenging the legality of a 2026 administrative order that removed the “unnatural offences” laws from the nation’s statute books without a final vote in Parliament. The dispute concerns Statutory Instrument No. 41 of 2026, issued by the Law Revision Commissioner; a role held by the Attorney General. Butale argues that the instrument effectively deleted paragraphs (a) and (c)...

Following its adoption by the National Assembly, the fate of the Constitution (Amendment) Bill, 2025, whose object is the amendment of the Constitution of Botswana, 1966 (hereinafter referred to as ‘the Constitution’) to establish the Constitutional Court, now lies with a referendum, after which the President may assent to it. It seems, to me, to be settled that the issue is no longer so much whether Botswana needs a Constitutional Court, but whether it is...

The global diamond industry is on the cusp of a major shift as Anglo American prepares to sell its majority stake in De Beers, the world’s most iconic diamond company. This proposed sale marks one of the most significant transactions in the history of the diamond trade, with far-reaching implications not just for the company itself but for the entire market. At the heart of this unfolding drama is Botswana, a nation whose economic fortunes...