Sunday Standard August figures reflect Botswana’s billion-Pula import hangover Botswana’s food and beverage import bill rose sharply in August 2024, with total imports for the month valued at P8.6 billion. Of this, food and beverages accounted for P1.3 billion, representing 15.2 percent of the total imports, according to data from Statistics Botswana. This marks a significant 6.7 percent increase from the P1.23 billion recorded in July. .ihc-locker-wrap{} There’s more to this story But to keep reading, we need you to subscribe. Investigative journalism is an indispensable part of a healthy society, but it’s also expensive to produce. We are reliant on subscriptions to fund our work, and while you can enjoy most of our stories for free, a small number of premium features are reserved for subscribers. You can subscribe for one week, a month or a full year – the choice is yours. Save 77% on an annual subscription....

At the beating heart of Botswana’s vibrant nightlife, one name is swiftly establishing himself as a great: Nay8. Inspired to take-up music by his great-grandmother, Nay8 has since changed tracks, choosing to focus his energy on making it as a Master of Ceremonies. It’s proving a profitable decision! The resident MC for Que Bar & Braii in Block 6, Gaborone, Nay8 is an MC in demand and recently took control of some of the biggest gigs in GC. What made you want to become an MC? My journey into MCing began with my deep passion for music. I dropped my first single in 2018, and while I’ve put my music career on pause for now, I’m definitely planning a comeback. The inspiration for my music came from my great-grandmother, the late Nonnie Pilane, whose legacy motivates me to keep engaging with the crowd. The story of how I got my...

Sunday Standard Food prices fry household budgets as Inflation creeps up Botswana’s inflation rate inched higher in October, reaching 1.6 percent from the 1.5 percent recorded in September, according to the Consumer Price Index (CPI) report released by Statistics Botswana on Friday. The rise, though modest, highlights notable pressures from key categories such as Food & Non-Alcoholic Beverages, which contributed 0.8 percentage points to the annual inflation rate. .ihc-locker-wrap{} There’s more to this story But to keep reading, we need you to subscribe. Investigative journalism is an indispensable part of a healthy society, but it’s also expensive to produce. We are reliant on subscriptions to fund our work, and while you can enjoy most of our stories for free, a small number of premium features are reserved for subscribers. You can subscribe for one week, a month or a full year – the choice is yours. Save 77% on an...

The Court of Appeal (CoA) has dismissed Former Permanent Secretary to the President, Carter Morupisi’s appeal against his conviction and sentencing. The CoA panel consisted of presiding judge Bess Nkabinde, Judge President Tebogo Tau and Dr Singh Walia. The court upheld Gaborone High Court judge Chris Gabanagae’s earlier conviction on two counts of Corruption and one count of Money Laundering. At the time, Morupisi was given a suspended two-year jail term and a cumulative fine of P130 000. “The state proved its case beyond reasonable doubt. The verdicts in respect of the three counts are confirmed therefore the appellant’s appeal on the merits must fail and is dismissed.” The Court of Appeal has ordered for parties to file heads of arguments by Friday while sentencing is scheduled for next week Wednesday. Source link

Sunday Standard Lucara’s revenue dips as diamond sector weakens Lucara Diamond Corp reported an 8 percent revenue decline in the first nine months of 2024, as the global diamond market grapples with weaker demand. The Canadian miner, dual-listed on the Toronto Stock Exchange and Botswana Stock Exchange, recorded revenues of $125.1 million, down from $136.1 million in the same period last year, despite modest quarterly improvements. .ihc-locker-wrap{} There’s more to this story But to keep reading, we need you to subscribe. Investigative journalism is an indispensable part of a healthy society, but it’s also expensive to produce. We are reliant on subscriptions to fund our work, and while you can enjoy most of our stories for free, a small number of premium features are reserved for subscribers. You can subscribe for one week, a month or a full year – the choice is yours. Save 77% on an annual subscription....

A 35-year-old man from Ditadi village was arraigned before Francistown Magistrate Court this morning for the death of his 17-year-old lover. Ronny Sebutana, appeared before court in shackles under hostile gazes from incensed members of the public who were struggling to come to terms with the teenager’s tragic death and the dark revelations surrounding her older lover. The lifeless body of the teenager, identified as Phenyo Potwana, was found hanging from a tree at Ditatsana ward on Tuesday morning. A pair of trousers had been used as a noose to hang the teenager. A bag with suspected dagga and a jacket were also found at the scene. Police officers easily picked signs of foul play because of the footprints around the crime scene, leading to Sebutana’s swift arrest. Sebutana was slapped with a murder charge this morning and his plea was reserved. Securing the accused’s incarceration, state prosecutor Paphidzo Kuda...

Sunday Standard Debswana’s revenue drops sharply as market struggles persist  Debswana, Botswana’s largest private revenue generator and a vital pillar of the country’s economy, reported its second-lowest monthly revenue of the year in September, reflecting continued challenges in selling rough diamonds and putting pressure on the nation’s economic outlook. .ihc-locker-wrap{} There’s more to this story But to keep reading, we need you to subscribe. Investigative journalism is an indispensable part of a healthy society, but it’s also expensive to produce. We are reliant on subscriptions to fund our work, and while you can enjoy most of our stories for free, a small number of premium features are reserved for subscribers. You can subscribe for one week, a month or a full year – the choice is yours. Save 77% on an annual subscription. Click here to find out how. Existing subscribers can log in to keep reading here. jQuery(document).ready( function(){...

Former Botswana Democratic Party (BDP) Councillor for Medie/ Kweneng, Edward Shanakane, facing two cases of defilement has had one of the cases moved to April 25, 2025, for trial. Shanakane’s trial was scheduled to commence last week before Molepolole Magistrates’ Court but was postponed as the interpreter called in sick. The postponement was also convenient for Shanakane as he also told the court that his lawyer was unable to attend trial as he too was unwell. “Your attorney has failed to appear even for mention for the whole of this year, a letter of urgency and non-attendance is not filed. The case was registered on June 21st, 2022, while the offence is alleged to have occurred in 2020, we shall proceed with trial,” said Magistrate Mmamerafe Phologo when setting the new trial date. This publication has learnt that the former councillor’s other defilement case scheduled for trial earlier this year,...

Sunday Standard Cooking diamonds: Boko, Cook stir pact into action The Chief Executive Officer of global diamond giant De Beers, Al Cook, has expressed optimism that the long-delayed diamond sales agreement with Botswana will soon be finalised. Speaking to the press after a courtesy meeting with Botswana’s newly elected leadership, President Duma Boko and Vice President Ndaba Gaolaotlhe, on Thursday, Cook remarked, “We see negotiations concluding in days and weeks, not months and years.” .ihc-locker-wrap{} There’s more to this story But to keep reading, we need you to subscribe. Investigative journalism is an indispensable part of a healthy society, but it’s also expensive to produce. We are reliant on subscriptions to fund our work, and while you can enjoy most of our stories for free, a small number of premium features are reserved for subscribers. You can subscribe for one week, a month or a full year – the choice...

Botswana Savings Bank (BSB), made huge strides in the previous financial year (April 2023 – March 2024), seeing profits increase by a whopping 258 percent. Profits hit P23.3 million as compared to P6.5 million the year before, with the success largely down to the bank’s ambitious three-year Lesedi Strategy (2022-2025), which aims to transform the Group into a commercially viable and technologically advanced institution. This year has been dominated by robust growth across key financial metrics and was primarily driven by the new subsidiary (BSB Insurance Agency) contributing P11.3 million and an enhanced loan book performance. Additionally, a focus on expanding offerings and improving operational efficiencies has yielded eye-catching results. The bank’s net interest income grew by 5 percent, from P164 million in 2023 to P173 million in 2024. This was attributed to the Group’s revised sales strategy, which included expanding direct sales agency network and revising the maximum loan...