Khama the Great(II) shows people driven leadership

President Ian Khama playing snooker with old Naledi resident, a shanty town in Gaborone

Khama the Great(II) has silenced his critics by proving that he really means business about his beloved motherland,gone is the time of Presidents who appear before elections like frogs after the rains to get a ticket to go back to the city and leave the people languishing until next election.This is indeed a dawn of a new era in Africa.Indeed the death and burial of talkshops staged by our dear African leaders is in sight as new crop of African leadership seems to be progressive.I am really touched with this experience where the President goes to almost every village and address the people personally.This inspires the ordinary masses and obviously gives them something to talk about over their traditional opaque beer.Going to them will not make them want to come to the city,but it will improve and indeed boost their self esteem.

Right now elections are still far away but he still dines with both the rich and poor of his country because he is a father for them all.This is great leadership at its best and I urge African leadership to hearken to the call of valuing thier citizens as special,despite their financial status,not to celebrate their suffering under your rulership claiming that you have been President for decades.Its not about the term in Office,but fulfilling your God given mandate to lead us the ordinary masses with ubberima fide.God did not create all of us rich ,just as the hands are not equal,but we can all be happy in our different conditions.
May God bless President Ian Khama,and give him strides to have more wisdom as he leads his people whole heartedly.

To Zimbabwean leadership

We are looking for leaders of the people not gangsters,murderers and thugs.This is a great lesson to you.Other children with responsible fathers(leaders) might not get anything much,but are happy that thier father cares for them.Life is not always about money,but showing that you care for your people.

Zim wants R3bn loan from SA

Sep 08 2010 21:05

Sapa


Harare - Zimbabwe is negotiating R3.25bn in credit from South Africa in an effort to revive the country's economy, the finance minister said Wednesday.


Finance Minister Tendai Biti and Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai

"There are two facilities that we are negotiating. One is a line of credit of R500m, one is a revival of an old overdraft facility of R2.75bn," Tendai Biti told business leaders in the capital.

"We are also talking to private capital, the banks," he said.

Mugabe and his longtime rival Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai formed a unity government in February last year, hoping to end a decade of political and economic crisis.

The unity government has appealed for $10bn for reconstruction, but major Western donors have demanded more political reforms before offering direct budget support.

Zim, Botswana seal $70m deal

Zimbabwe and Botswana at the weekend concluded a $70 million line of credit deal, one of the five facilities pledged by Sadc countries in support of its economic reconstruction, when the country formed a unity government last year.



Finance Minister-Tendai Biti

Finance minister Tendai Biti last week led a delegation of local businesspeople to Botswana to seal the deal.

The Botswana Confederation of Commerce, Industry and Manpower took advantage of the occasion to press for speedy finalisation of the Bilateral Investment Promotion and Protection Agreement (Bippa)between the two neighbours.

The line of credit will be offered at Libor+5% (0,5% + 5%) and is expected disbursement in the next four weeks after disbursement modalities have been finalised between the two governments.

Libor is an acronym for London Interbank Offered Rate – the interest rate that banks charge each other for loans, usually in Eurodollars.

Confederation of Zimbabwe Industries (CZI) president Joseph Kanyekanye, who was part of the delegation, yesterday told NewsDay that parties to the deal agreed to have the 500 million pula or US$70 million credit line packaged as a revolving facility.

“This is what the country is looking for. Given the liquidity challenges that we have been facing this should go a long-way in injecting life into the economy,” said Kanyekanye. “It is also critical that government heeds the call of our business partners in Botswana to have a Bippa in place to cement our economic ties.”

The deal comes just under two weeks after the Africa Export Import Bank (Afreximbank) and the Zimbabwean government launched a low-interest rate $100 million joint loan facility with an initial drawdown of $70 million, to revive the country’s economy.

Afreximbank will contribute US$50 million, while the government will chip in with US$20 million to the fund, which will be channelled through banks.

Botswana and Zimbabwe agreed that the $70 million facility would cover the export of goods and services and joint venture deals between the two countries.

They also agreed that 70% of the funds would go towards manufacturing with the rest being committed to other sectors.

Kanyekanye said the work on the Bippa had been going for a long time and there was no reason why it should not be concluded.