The Monitor
Boko’s ‘holidays’ extremely distasteful –BCP
Following President Duma Boko’s two recent holidays, BCP Secretary-General Goretetse Kekgonegile has criticised what he describes as the “luxurious lifestyle” of the President. He has called for an urgent review of presidential benefits, insisting that...
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‘Intervene early, don’t rely on death penalty’
President Duma Boko has urged Batswana to tackle gender-based violence at an early age through family discipline and community programmes, rather than relying upon the death penalty. He said proper grooming would steer young boys from violent...
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Same sex couple sues gov’t for right to marry
Bonolo Selelo and her partner Tsholofelo Kumile, have taken the government to court, challenging the Marriage Act, which they say forbids same-sex marriages. The samesex couple cites the marriage of the late Sir Seretse Khama and Lady Ruth Khama as an...
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‘I’m in love with the Spy Chief ’
Sometime in 2020, a Directorate on Intelligence Services (DIS) senior agent, Tshepo Tilia Thupa, received a message from Director General (DG) Peter Fana Magosi instructing her to meet at a certain location in Gaborone. Thupa thought it was a DIS...
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Galebotswe condemns BPF-UDC deal
Member of the Botswana Patriotic Front (BPF), Gaolathe Galebotswe, has dismissed a legal letter requesting him to cease and desist from holding himself out as president of the party. He confirmed receiving the letter in Palapye, where a BPF faction...
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Botched Air Botswana probe deepens DIS rift
Explosive investigation into Air Botswana’s alleged rot rocks DIS Claims of unqualified personnel, unlicensed pilots, defiance hit airline Probe spirals into arrests, unexplained suspensions DIS agents accused of leaking ‘intel’ abruptly reassigned...
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Paradox of two presidents
Botswana Patriotic Front (BPF) stands at a perilous crossroads, its survival teetering on the edge after a stormy and chaotic elective congress here over the weekend. What was meant to be a triumphant democratic exercise to usher in new leadership...
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Gov’t admits to Bonno failures
“We don’t want to say we are doing well when we are not. We are human, and in this journey, we will make mistakes. We accept the mistakes,” Minister Onneetse Ramogapi owned up during a press briefing
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Kgatleng: Land Board from hell
MOCHUDI: Following a heated meeting at the Mochudi Kgotla over the weekend, Bakgatla and Kgatleng residents have resolved to write a petition to have employees at the Kgatleng main and sub land boards removed from their positions. Kgatleng Land Board...
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Gov’t dumps cleaning, security companies
The government will now place stronger emphasis on in-sourcing after findings revealed that outsourcing led to poor working conditions, job insecurity, and inconsistent service quality
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Judicial turmoil as Kebonang questions secret audit
Tensions erupt in the judiciary as Justice Zein Kebonang slams a covert audit into his recusals and allegedly faces a formal complaint from Chief Justice Gaolapelwe Ketlogetswe. The dispute has ignited fresh concerns about transparency and power...
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‘We won’t rest until every citizen is employed’
The acting President and Minister of Finance, Ndaba Gaolathe, has said that the government is committed to creating jobs for all citizens, pledging to transform the economy through the Botswana Economic Transformation Plan (BETP). Gaolathe was...
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Stepmother jailed for ‘raping’ minor stepson
Mogoditshane police have arrested a 33-yearold woman for allegedly raping her 17-yearold stepson in Tsolamosese, Mogoditshane. The stepmother was arrested on Saturday after the victim reported the sexual assault to his teachers on Friday, and they...
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Khama installs chief as gov’t meddles in bogosi dispute
● Gov’t chooses ‘will of the people’ over ‘culture and tradition’ ● Claimant to the Seleka village bogosi seat, Balemetse Seleka, challenges gov’t decision ● Says appointing Baitswi as Seleka village chief was wrong, unfair, unlawful ● Gov’t claims...
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PPRA rejects Boko’s direct tenders
● PPRA orders cancellation of a P662m direct tender ● Tender cancelled for inappropriate, unjustified use of direct method ● Authority proposes competitive bidding methods ● Recommends sufficient market test before potential bidders short-listing ●...
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Kebonang orders arrest of Magosi, Macholo
Justice Dr Zein Kebonang has found the Director General of the Directorate on Intelligence and Security (DIS), Peter Magosi, and the Director of Public Service Management (DPSM), Gaone Macholo, in contempt of non-payment of about 401 spies in their...
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Deceived, tied, burnt alive
Nearly a decade after 11-year-old Clifford Mochocho was allegedly murdered by his father’s then-girlfriend, Gaofenngwe Selaolo, one of the lead investigators in the case took the witness stand and made shocking revelations. Marapo testified that...
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DM project team pockets millions despite ‘poor job’
● Project coordinator earns P150k monthly ● Project Team encroached on mandates of Ministry of Finance, NPC ● Team of 12 inadequate to monitor projects effectively, raising red flags ● Unreliable data used to pay DMs ● Recommendation to dissolve,...
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PSP under fire
● Peloetletse, Mabeo clash at the PAC ● You should be investigated – MP lashes out at PSP ● I would have been notified if DCEC was investigating me – PSP ● Low employee morale in the civil service - PSP admits ● PAC worried about ghost employees in...
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DIS to pay employees 17 years of unpaid wages
The Directorate of Intelligence and Security (DIS) will pay salary back pay to about 401 employees, dating as far back as 2008, after its appeal against the order was dismissed in court yesterday. The DIS has kept its aggrieved employees waiting for...
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Boko demands tough review of death penalty
• President Boko says GBV soars despite capital punishment • Emphasises that roots of violence must be tackled first • 14 death row inmates await Boko’s signature • Two death sentences overturned since he took over • People worry Boko’s human rights...
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Khama calls on Boko to set examples
Following a settlement agreement between government and Ambassador Bridgette Motsepe, over the P100 billion case, former president Ian Khama wants to see those who were involved punished. Government conceded that indeed implicating Khama and Motsepe...
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Torture of undocumented nationals irks court
FRANCISTOWN: Principal Magistrate Tshepo Magetse says they are deeply troubled by the emerging pattern of alleged mistreatment particularly of undocumented Zimbabwean nationals. He was delivering a statement against the inhumane manner in which...
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Brutal murder shocks UB staff
The University of Botswana (UB) was on Monday rocked by a brutal murder incident when a man allegedly stabbed and killed his former partner in front of her helpless colleagues, before fleeing the scene. The incident, which sent shockwaves across the...
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Pilane digs heels in
Head of Intelligence at the Directorate on Corruption and Economic Crime (DCEC), Tshepo Pilane, has written an explosive submission against the intention to transfer him to the Ministry of Higher Education. In a no blows barred letter to the Permanent...
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Gov’t rejects ‘costly’ Moti deal, prefers open bidding
The Ministry of Finance has revealed that it has rejected a proposal by President Duma Boko’s friend, Zunaid Moti, who wanted a tender to build clinics and schools. In the proposed deal, a total cost for a single clinic is P9.1 million, whilst a single...
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State fails as sole mass shooting survivor walks
Bullet wounds, 13 State witnesses, and three years later – the sole survivor of the infamous Phase 2 shootout that left 10 male suspects dead, Tsaone Reboeleng, has been acquitted and discharged. The Monitor’s Sharon Mathala and Larona Makhaiza report...
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Top DCEC investigator’s transfer raises eyebrows
Senior Investigative Officer at the Directorate on Corruption and Economic Crime (DCEC), Tshepo Pilane, was last Thursday left in shock after receiving a letter requesting him to provide reasons within seven days why he should not be transferred to the...
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DIS does recruit thieves
With questions often raised about the recruitment criterion of the Directorate on Intelligence and Security (DIS), Director-General of the spy agency Peter Magosi has revealed that they do not have one and they can sometimes recruit someone because...
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Learn to tell the truth –Mohwasa tells unions
“There are rumours that there are Special Forces which will fill the gap left by doctors. No, that is news to me; whoever is spreading that information should stop lying because there is nothing like that
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Khama, gov’t clash
Afierce war of words has erupted between former president Kgosi Khama IV and the government after the ministry moved to curb meetings between traditional leaders and councillors, labelling such gatherings as ‘illegal’. Khama has termed the ministerial...
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Teacher unions turn up heat on minister
Teachers’ unions have expressed disappointment over the recent utterances made by the Minister of Child Welfare and Basic Education, Nono Kgafela-Mokoka, about teacher-inflicted corporal punishment in schools. The minister was captured in a viral video...
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Masisi takes aim at UDC, De Beers
After his own party kept the De Beers diamond deal a secret, former president and outgoing leader of the Botswana Democratic Party (BDP) Mokgweetsi Masisi wants the new Umbrella for Democratic Change (UDC) government to share some details from the...
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Dark times
Minerals and Energy minister, Bogolo Kenewendo, is due to meet with South African officials on Thursday after electricity import costs ballooned by more than 145%, worsening the power crisis the country has been battling since March 22. Kenewendo is...
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UDC leadership won’t forfeit BDP regime’s financial perks
Despite promising to cut down on spending to rebuild buffers, the Umbrella for Democratic Change’s (UDC) government has admitted that it has accepted the political leadership’s financial perks which were “reviewed and approved by the previous...
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Balopi to apologise to Masisi’s victims
Ethough Botswana Democratic Party (BDP) presidential hopeful Mpho Balopi claims he never fell out with ex-president Mokgweetsi Masisi, the former Gaborone North legislator says he wants to apologise to people who were hard done by the past...
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UDC to uncover DIS links to Tautona Lodge acquisition
Minister for State President, Moeti Mohwasa, has revealed that the Umbrella for Democratic Change-led (UDC) government will uncover the Directorate of Intelligence and Security’s (DIS) alleged role in the P58.2 million acquisition of Tautona Lodge and...
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UDC gov’t finally commits to fixing ‘rogue’ DIS
“Government intends to involve and lobby all the relevant stakeholders in addressing challenges at the DIS with the view that this process will culminate in a new intelligence and national security paradigm and doctrine, and ultimately a new national...
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Kaone blames father for mysterious fires
Amidst all the fracas surrounding Kaone Sebogodi’s unexplainable fires, she has come out to blame her father as the root cause of all the hardships she faces on the ground that he practises traditional medicine. Sebogodi recently approached The Monitor...
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Child beater blames poor upbringing
Ayoung man, who has been found guilty of cruel treatment or punishment by hitting a 13-monthold baby with a plastic pipe, has told court that poor upbringing by his mother clouded his judgment in the act. Appearing before the Extension II Magistrate...
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Pensioners win big in 2025 budget
The government has prioritised the well-being of the elderly and children, reaffirming its commitment to inclusivity and social welfare. Delivering the 2025-26 budget speech yesterday, Finance Minister Ndaba Gaolathe announced an increase in the old...
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Dr Tsheboeng resigns as CEDA Board chair
In a surprising turn of events, Dr Alfred Tsheboeng, the chairperson of the Citizen Entrepreneurship Development Agency (CEDA) board, has resigned. His departure comes amidst an unfolding scandal involving allegations of corruption, mismanagement, and...
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Tensions rise over BDP’s 2024 colossal loss
Tension was palpable at the Botswana Democratic Party’s (BDP) Central Committee (CC) meeting held on Sunday at the Tsholofelo Community Hall, where members from the Gaborone region openly criticised the party leadership. Attendees didn’t hesitate to...
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‘Honeymoon’s over, act now!’ –Local teachers tell gov’t
Botswana’s temporary and unemployed teachers yesterday staged a protest at Gaborone’s government enclave, urging the new administration to prioritise local teachers over foreign nationals in addressing citizen unemployment. The teachers embarked on a...
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UDC’s mounting struggles over ‘political appointments’
The ruling Umbrella for Democratic Change (UDC) is beginning to make its presence felt albeit gradually within politically appointed boards. This shift has not been without controversy. Last Friday, Kweneng Land Board Chairperson and President of the...
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Masisi used my name in ‘vain’–Kgafela
Bakgatla Ba Kgafela Kgosikgolo Kgafela Kg afela II has said he didn’t turn down an offer by former president Mokgweetsi Masisi to bring him back home. Despite Masisi having made a promise ahead of the 2019 General Election that he would do all in his...
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We don’t regret leaving UDC – Saleshando
Even though the coalition they were once part of recently won the General Election, Botswana Congress Party (BCP) president Dumelang Saleshando says they don’t regret pulling out of the arrangement because it was a manmade disaster. Speaking at the BCP...
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‘Serogola has no place in our Kgotla’
The Ministry of Local and Traditional Affairs (MLGTA) has outlined its roles as its minister looks to build prosperity in rural communities and improve livelihoods of Batswana. According to the ministry, it primarily aims to establish democratic and...
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Mokgenene residents in shock over pupils’ sexual assault
MOKGENENE: Residents of the small village of Mokgenene, located 137km from Mahalapye, are grappling with allegations of sexual misconduct at a local primary school. A male employee of the school is facing potential jail time, after being accused of...
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Raymond vows citizen arrest on Thamane, Serite
Social media influencer and activist, Setlhomo Raymond Tshwanelang, and other demonstrators, issued an ultimatum yesterday to the newly appointed Minister of Trade and Entrepreneurship, Tiroeaone Ntsima, demanding the removal from office of the chief...
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Court steps aside in sentencing rape - convict father
The Broadhurst Magistrate’s Court has recused itself from delivering a sentence on rape convict, Kabelo Kabelo, who was found guilty of sexually violating his biological daughter for a year and a half. Expected to deliver sentencing today following...
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This is it, I won’t run in 2029 – Masisi
“This is it,” are the words of former president Mokgweetsi Masisi when asked if he will ever participate in another national election process. Masisi said this yesterday at the official handover of government to the incoming President Duma Boko. “I’m...
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Botswana decides!
As the 2024 General Election draws near, the media space has been polluted with all sorts of wild messaging from all sundry, wielding a hilt of misinformation that complicates the public discourse. All the political players are counting down the...
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Boko le Khama ke ditsotsi – Autlwetse
SEROWE: Minister of Local Government and Rural Development, Kgotla Autlwetse, launched a salvo at opposition leaders Duma Boko and Ian Khama during the Botswana Democratic Party’s (BDP) launch of its three parliamentary candidates for Serowe...
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Boko threatens to halt ‘unfair’ elections
Still adamant that their party was meant to take power after the 2019 polls, Umbrella for Democratic Change (UDC) president, Duma Boko is convinced only unconventional means could stand in their way to power. Speaking at the launch of Sean Ntlhaile as...
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Stop making death threats –Masisi cautions Boko
DITSHEGWANE: Botswana Democratic Party (BDP) president, Mokgweetsi Masisi, has warned the Umbrella for Democratic Change (UDC) president, Duma Boko, to desist from making death threats. This follows a series of public comments made by Boko where the...
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UDC problems are inevitable – Boko
President of the Umbrella for Democratic Change (UDC), Duma Boko, says it is inevitable for the coalition to have problems due to the nature of its formation. Speaking at the launch of UDC parliamentary candidate for Tlokweng constituency, Phenyo...
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Boko warns Masisi against rigging of elections
MOLEPOLOLE: Umbrella for Democratic Change (UDC) president, Duma Boko, has emphasised that if Botswana Democratic Party (BDP) leader Mokgweetsi Masisi rigs next month’s General Election, that would lead to turmoil in the country. As he leads his...
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Mthimkhulu popularised Botswana like Letsile – Masisi
President Mokgweetsi Masisi has described the late minister, Dumezweni Mthimkhulu, as a person of strong conviction who managed to put Botswana on the map. Likening Mthimkhulu to Botswana’s sprint star and Olympic champion, Letsile Tebogo, he said just...
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Minister Mthimkhulu passes on
Minister of Environment and Tourism, who is also Gaborone South Member of Parliament, Dumezweni Meshack Mthimkhulu has passed away. Sources confirmed last night that Mthimkhulu, who took over from Philda Kereng as Minister in February, had been ill for...
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Saleshando suspects political motives in SA robbery
Botswana Congress Party (BCP) president Dumelang Saleshando’s wait for an ordered Uber cab turned ugly last week Tuesday when he was abruptly robbed of his valuables at gunpoint. The former Leader of Opposition in Parliament, who will lead his party...
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BPF battles laid bare in court
FRANCISTOWN: It never rains but pours for the Botswana Patriotic Front (BPF) after three of its members took the party to court on Friday on a certificate of urgency. The three members of the embattled party, Mmapula Amos, Boatametse Nthobogang and...
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Our Letsile: to the world, a star
After a historic men’s 200m gold medal triumph on Thursday evening at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games, I knew that a trip to Kanye which is Letsile ‘Schoolboy’ Tebogo’s home village was imminent. Tebogo became the first African to win the event when he...
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