News & Events

After eight years of complex negotiations, Botswana and De Beers Group have finalised a landmark diamond sales agreement, marking a crucial milestone for the southern African nation’s mining sector.

The agreement, signed recently in the capital city of Gaborone, includes provisions for a potential five-year extension to the initial term. President Duma Boko, speaking at the signing ceremony, hailed it as a “good deal” that promises to generate substantial employment opportunities for Botswana’s citizens.

Under the renewed partnership, the state-owned Okavango Diamond Company will secure a 40 percent share of Debswana’s production, revised from an earlier provisional figure of 50 percent. Debswana, a joint venture equally owned by Botswana and De Beers, will see its mining licences extended by 25 years, now running until July 2054. The agreement represents a significant step forward in Botswana’s diamond industry, promising long-term value creation through existing mining assets and future expansion projects.

Read the original article here: https://www.chinadaily.com.cn/a/202502/26/WS67be7a0da310c240449d7541.html

Dr Phenyo Butale, Botswana’s Minister of International Relations, has highlighted the critical need to increase trade between African nations during a memorial lecture at North-West University. Speaking at an event honouring the late South African Deputy Foreign Affairs Minister Dr Aziz Pahad, Dr Butale expressed concern over Africa’s continued reliance on external markets despite its abundant resources.

Using the example of beef trade, he pointed out how African nations like Angola and the Democratic Republic of Congo import from Brazil while overlooking high-quality beef available in Botswana and South Africa’s North West province. This pattern of preferring trade with Europe and the United States over regional partnerships potentially hampers Africa’s economic growth.

The minister emphasized the importance of implementing the African Continental Free Trade Area agreement, though noting that various challenges, including logistical and regulatory issues, currently impede progress. Dr Butale’s message stressed that Africa’s economic future depends not on the possibility of intra-continental trade, but on the collective will to make it happen.

Read the original article here: https://newbusinessethiopia.com/trade/botswana-urges-african-nations-to-bolster-regional-trade/

Ghana, formerly the Gold Coast, boasts a rich cultural heritage, with powerful kingdoms such as the Ashanti playing a significant role in its history. The nation’s path to independence was marked by the pivotal efforts of the “Big Six” leaders, who galvanised the movement through the United Gold Coast Convention (UGCC). A crucial turning point came in 1949 when Kwame Nkrumah founded the Convention People’s Party (CPP), which secured a decisive victory in the 1951 legislative elections. This laid the groundwork for Ghana’s full independence in 1957.

The 68th Independence Day celebration, set to take place at the Jubilee House in Accra, promises to be a momentous occasion. This year’s festivities will be themed “Reflect, Review, and Reset,” featuring a military guard of honour, cultural performances by elementary school students, poetry recitals, and a presidential address. The event will be attended by a diverse array of dignitaries, including political leaders, chiefs, and religious figures. Ghana’s Independence Day remains a powerful symbol of national achievement and unity, inspiring successive generations with its enduring message of self-determination and progress.