Botswana

MAUN, Botswana -- Everyone is kind in the bush. In Botswana, the African sun pours from smiles. Somebody's wave is like a branch swaying in the wind. Everyone is kind (I will see about the lions) except for the customs guy at the airport who won't let up. "Why are you here?" he keeps asking, even when I tell him it's for a six-day safari. My trip is run by CC Africa, I say. Camping in tents with a guide from this big tour company. Driving in safari vans to see the animals and to let them see me. "No, no," he says.

Police in Botswana say they are cracking down on poaching in a game reserve, but a rights group says the move is an attempt to intimidate Bushmen who went to court to secure their right to live in the area. Police spokesman Christopher Mbulawa, responding by e-mail over the weekend to questions from The Associated Press, said police established special camps across the country as a crime-prevention strategy. He said a police camp near a settlement of Bushmen, also known as the Basarwa, was set up in the Central Kalahari Game Reserve "to deal with the escalating poaching in the area.

GABORONE, Botswana -- Botswana's government yesterday accepted a court order to allow the Bushmen, the nation's last hunter-gatherers, to live on their ancestral lands. But at the same time, officials imposed tough conditions likely to prevent most or all from returning. The High Court ruled Wednesday that the Bushmen were wrongly evicted from the Central Kalahari Game Reserve in 2002. The 2-1 verdict was hailed as a victory for indigenous peoples, not just in this African country but around the world.

By Adam Burrows, Boston.com Correspondent LIBREVILLE, Gabon -- Before Diphetogo "Dipsy" Selolwane (Se-lol-wa-ni) was able to build a successful career in the South African Premier Soccer League, he first had to go to America. For the 34-year-old Botswana attacking midfielder, who will conclude his twelve-year international career on Wednesday when the Zebras play Mali in Libreville, the notion still rankles. "The thing that bothered me is that I had to go halfway around the world to get some sort of recognition.

By Adam Burrows, Boston.com Correspondent LIBREVILLE, Gabon -- Before Diphetogo "Dipsy" Selolwane (Se-lol-wa-ni) was able to build a successful career in the South African Premier Soccer League, he first had to go to America. For the 34-year-old Botswana attacking midfielder, who will conclude his twelve-year international career on Wednesday when the Zebras play Mali in Libreville, the notion still rankles. "The thing that bothered me is that I had to go halfway around the world to get some sort of recognition.

Police in Botswana say they are cracking down on poaching in a game reserve, but a rights group says the move is an attempt to intimidate Bushmen who went to court to secure their right to live in the area. Police spokesman Christopher Mbulawa, responding by e-mail over the weekend to questions from The Associated Press, said police established special camps across the country as a crime-prevention strategy. He said a police camp near a settlement of Bushmen, also known as the Basarwa, was set up in the Central Kalahari Game Reserve...

The following was submitted by the Melrose Public Library: The Melrose Public Library is proud to continue the popular "Author's Corner " program on Thursday, September 29th at 7:30 p.m. with South African mystery writer Stanley Trollip.  Trollip and his writing partner, Michael Sears, write under the pen name of Michael Stanley.  Their third mystery, "Death of the Mantis," will be released this month featuring Detective Kubu...

Luke Hughes is a Boston College junior spending six months at the University of Cape Town in South Africa (www.uct.ac.za). He was drawn to South Africa to study the country's history of dealing with apartheid. A PRIVILEGE TO STUDY: Students here take their work more seriously than back in the States. There is a much lower rate of students who get the opportunity to attend a university, and therefore the students who can, take it as a blessing and give their best effort in return.

Things are changing in Botswana. And as the fans of Mma Ramotswe -- the ever-resourceful, solidly grounded proprietor of the No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency -- should know by now, change is not good. Life according to stout, goodhearted Mma Ramotswe is best when ordered by the old ways of courtesy and kindness. But by the opening of this brief novel, the sixth installment of Alexander McCall Smith's Botswana series, even Mma Ramotswe has gotten caught up in the evil temper of modern times: After jumping up to pursue a petty thief, she's accused of trying to avoid paying a cafe bill.

GABORONE, Botswana - Botswana’s governing party, which has been in power for more than four decades, once again swept parliamentary elections that regional observers deemed free and fair, the country’s independent electoral commission announced yesterday. The overwhelming legislative majority cleared the way for President Seretse Ian Khama to continue as leader of the world’s largest diamond-producing country. The commission announced yesterday that the Botswana Democratic Party had won 45 out of the 57 parliamentary seats in...

The following was submitted by the Melrose Public Library: The Melrose Public Library is proud to continue the popular "Author's Corner " program on Thursday, September 29th at 7:30 p.m. with South African mystery writer Stanley Trollip.  Trollip and his writing partner, Michael Sears, write under the pen name of Michael Stanley.  Their third mystery, "Death of the Mantis," will be released this month featuring Detective Kubu...

GABORONE, Botswana - Botswana’s governing party, which has been in power for more than four decades, once again swept parliamentary elections that regional observers deemed free and fair, the country’s independent electoral commission announced yesterday. The overwhelming legislative majority cleared the way for President Seretse Ian Khama to continue as leader of the world’s largest diamond-producing country. The commission announced yesterday that the Botswana Democratic Party had won 45 out of the 57 parliamentary...

Luke Hughes is a Boston College junior spending six months at the University of Cape Town in South Africa (www.uct.ac.za). He was drawn to South Africa to study the country's history of dealing with apartheid. A PRIVILEGE TO STUDY: Students here take their work more seriously than back in the States. There is a much lower rate of students who get the opportunity to attend a university, and therefore the students who can, take it as a blessing and give their best effort in return.

GABORONE, Botswana -- Botswana's government yesterday accepted a court order to allow the Bushmen, the nation's last hunter-gatherers, to live on their ancestral lands. But at the same time, officials imposed tough conditions likely to prevent most or all from returning. The High Court ruled Wednesday that the Bushmen were wrongly evicted from the Central Kalahari Game Reserve in 2002. The 2-1 verdict was hailed as a victory for indigenous peoples, not just in this African country but around the world.

LOBATSE, Botswana -- Botswana's High Court ruled yesterday that the country's Bushmen are entitled to live and hunt on their ancestral lands in the Central Kalahari Game Reserve, a decision hailed as a victory for indigenous peoples. The Basarwa tribesmen had accused the government of evicting them -- in many cases at gunpoint -- to exploit the diamond and mineral potential of a reserve the size of Switzerland. The government claimed the tribe agreed to move as part of efforts to protect the reserve, that it had already owned the mineral rights, and that the tribe had...

Things are changing in Botswana. And as the fans of Mma Ramotswe -- the ever-resourceful, solidly grounded proprietor of the No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency -- should know by now, change is not good. Life according to stout, goodhearted Mma Ramotswe is best when ordered by the old ways of courtesy and kindness. But by the opening of this brief novel, the sixth installment of Alexander McCall Smith's Botswana series, even Mma Ramotswe has gotten caught up in the evil temper of modern times: After jumping up to pursue a petty thief, she's accused of trying to avoid paying a cafe...

LOBATSE, Botswana -- Botswana's High Court ruled yesterday that the country's Bushmen are entitled to live and hunt on their ancestral lands in the Central Kalahari Game Reserve, a decision hailed as a victory for indigenous peoples. The Basarwa tribesmen had accused the government of evicting them -- in many cases at gunpoint -- to exploit the diamond and mineral potential of a reserve the size of Switzerland. The government claimed the tribe agreed to move as part of efforts to protect the reserve, that it had already owned the mineral rights, and that the tribe had been compensated for the land.

By Adam Burrows, Boston.com Correspondent BONGOVILLE, Gabon -- Botswana is a sparsely populated, land-locked country in southern Africa acclaimed for its natural beauty, fauna, and civic stability. It has never been known for soccer. Until now. Defying all expectations, the Botswana national team, long the whipping boy of African international play, stormed through AFCON qualifying, topping group K with a remarkable 17 points (5-2-1) and becoming the first team to book a trip to Gabon and Equatorial Guinea.

MAUN, Botswana -- Everyone is kind in the bush. In Botswana, the African sun pours from smiles. Somebody's wave is like a branch swaying in the wind. Everyone is kind (I will see about the lions) except for the customs guy at the airport who won't let up. "Why are you here?" he keeps asking, even when I tell him it's for a six-day safari. My trip is run by CC Africa, I say. Camping in tents with a guide from this big tour company. Driving in safari vans to see the animals and to let them see me. "No, no," he says.