Botswana

Botswana elections: Mokgweetsi Masisi retains presidency

GABORONE, Oct 25 (NNN-AGENCIES) — Mokgweetsi Masisi has officially been declared the winner and president of Botswana.

Masisi’s victory was announced on Friday morning by the country’s chief justice, who is also the convener of elections according to the Constitution.

Masisi’s Botswana Democratic Party (BDP) attained the 29 constituencies out of 57 required to form government

The opposition Umbrella for Democratic Change has 12, the new Botswana Patriotic Front – backed by former president Ian Khama – has three seats while the Alliance of Progressives has one.

2nd LD: Masisi declared winner of Botswana's general election

GABORONE, Oct. 25 (Xinhua) -- Incumbent President Mokgweetsi Masisi has won Botswana's general elections after his party garnered majority in the national assembly, the chief justice said on Friday.

On Wednesday, the southern African country held its general elections for the 57 members of the national assembly and 490 councilors countrywide.

Botswana faces first close election contest since independence

GABERONE, (Reuters) - For the first time since it won independence from Britain in 1966, Botswana faces a genuine electoral contest on Wednesday, as a feud between its current and a former president throws one of Africa’s most stable nations into uncertainty.

The Botswana Democratic Party, in power since independence day, faces an unusually tough parliamentary vote, after the country’s former president and political heavyweight Ian Khama fell out bitterly with his hand-picked successor, President Mokgweetsi Masisi, earlier this year.

Botswana teams up with World Bank on renewable energy

GABORONE, April 27 (Xinhua) -- Botswana has partnered with the World Bank to develop a renewable energy strategy that would allow the country to be more independent on energy supplies, said President Mokgweetsi Masisi on Saturday.

He made the remarks at an event of the ruling Botswana Democratic Party in the capital Gaborone.

Botswana president vows to reduce extreme poverty

GABORONE, March 26 (Xinhua) -- Botswana's President Mokgweetsi Masisi said on Tuesday that reducing extreme poverty is his government's priority and he is working to lure foreign investors into the southern African nation to create the much needed employment opportunities.

Masisi was addressing members of the ruling Botswana Democratic Party (BDP) in Francistown, Botswana's second largest city ahead of the party's elective congress, which will be held from April 5 to 7 in Kang, a village in the southwestern part of the country.

Botswana's president blasts western critics over elephant cull

GABORONE, Feb. 27 (Xinhua) -- Botswanan President Mokgweetsi Masisi on Wednesday blasted Western countries for their outburst over Botswana's plan to lift a hunting ban and allow an elephant cull.

Botswana is "a sovereign state and do not have to be arm twisted by the western countries," said Masisi in an interview with Xinhua during his stopover at the Francistown International Airport in Botswana's second largest city on transit to Zimbabwe.

Botswana mulls lifting big game hunting ban

22 Feb 2019; DW: Botswana's government is considering lifting a ban on big game hunting, saying it might be necessary to prevent conflict with humans.

Botswana is home to about 130,000 elephants — almost a third of Africa's elephant population — but some lawmakers say the number of elephants in the country is higher than that and causes problems for small-scale farmers.

Chinese language being introduced into Botswana school curriculum

GABORONE, Feb. 21 (Xinhua) -- Kidz Academy International School in Kanye village in Botswana's southern district is making strides in introducing Chinese language in their curriculum.

Eliphas Moyo, a senior teacher at the school, said on Thursday that it is important to connect with China since it has a large population as well as economic influence.

"We therefore decided that the best way to have a connection with such an important country is firstly through language because communication is a crucial aspect in understanding one another," he said.

Subscribe to Botswana