On the occasion of President Mogae of Botswana’s visit to Namibia, the National Society for Human Rights (NSHR) joined Survival International, the First People of the Kalahari organisation and Ditshwanelo - the Botswana Centre for Human Rights in condemning human rights violations in Botswana regarding the "ongoing persecution of San (Bushman) indigenous minorities.

Reports of serious human rights violations, which include eviction, physical attacks, and marginalization of especially the Gana and Gwi people of the Central Kalahari Game Reserve (CKGR) have lately received widespread international condemnation, said Phil ya Nangolo, executive director of the NSHR. At least 8 San people were recently arrested at gunpoint, threatened with death and tortured before being held for a night in jail, he alleged The 8 men were apparently also tied to a pole for a day in a press-up position and kicked and beaten.

The victims have been accused by the Botswana government of hunting in the CKGR, which they claim as their ancestral land, from where they were evicted in 1997, 2002 and 2005. This is apparently in order to make room for diamond mining. In a surprise revelation recently, the Botswana government has said that a diamond mine on San land in the Reserve would affect 5 027 square kilometres of land, said the NSHR.

Several prominent German human rights organisation have urged German President Dr. Horst Köhler to discuss the eviction and torture of Gana and Gwi tribesmen with President Mogae during Köhler’s visit to Botswana last week.

International prices for crude oil rose over the crucial US$ 70 mark this week due to the Iran crisis and problems in Nigeria. The ministry of mines and energy this week Wednesday increased fuel prices. Petrol rose by 12 cents a litre and diesel jumped up by 21 cents a litre. Continued string demand for oil by the US and China, the world’s two largest economies and energy consumers added the soaring price amidst fears that oil producing countries might struggle to match the demands.

The house of the Cancer Association of Namibia, which is hosting cancer patients treated in the capital, will be 20 years old is month. Celebrations of House Acacia take place on 30 April at 15h00 in John Meinert Street in Windhoek West. First Lady Penehupifo Pohamba is expected to grace the occasion as guest of honour and keynote speaker. Cancer patients stay free of charge at House Acacia during treatment periods.

President Hifikepunye Pohamba and his counterpart from Botswana, president Festus Mogae inaugurated a small sub-station some 250 kilometres east of Windhoek close to the Botswana border on Thursday. The substation is part of a new electricity line constructed by NamPower recently. The power line is 132 kilometres long and cost N$ 48 million. The line goes to Ghanzi in Botswana and will enhance the electricity supply in the Ghanzi area.

Members of the ruling party again displayed their unwillingness to separate internal party issues from national duties on Wednesday, when most of the Swapo members of Parliament pitched up in the National Assembly wearing scarves, dresses, shirts and even ties in Swapo colours. The occasion was the 46th anniversary of Swapo, which was founded on 19 April 1960. Swapo members are the only ones doing this each year. The other political parties never do that. They keep their party anniversaries outside the parliamentary chamber.

Similarly, information minister Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah in an address to donor countries and their respective diplomats on Wednesday could not resist mentioning that Swapo had its anniversary. Some invited guests found it strange that the Namibian government on the one hand was asking for millions of dollars to finance its multi-billion dollar education reform, while on the other it showed such little regard to the fact that it was serving all Namibians and not just Swapo members. "This was rather undemocratic", one invited donor, a businessperson said after the opening ceremony of the conference in Windhoek.

Namibia will host a multi-national conference next week when all 14 member states of the Southern African Development Community (SADC) will meet in Windhoek. On 26 and 27 April government representatives from the 14 SADC states and international development partners will discuss the Regional Indicative Strategic Development Plan (RISDP) for SADC to stretch over 15 years. A second action, the Strategic Indicative Plan of the SADC Organ on Politics, Defence and Security (SIPO) will also be mapped out. Namibia currently holds the chair of the Organ on Politics, Defence and Security, while Botswana is currently chairing SADC until August this year.

The National Union of Namibian Workers (NUNW) is to hold its national congress from 28 to 30 April at the Windhoek College of Education. About 600 delegates from 7 affiliated labour unions are expected to attend. The most crucial issue to be discussed will be the alleged unfair dismissal of former acting secretary general Peter Naholo, the successor of Ranga Haikali, who joined as a manager at Ongopolo Mining. Naholo is fighting his dismissal in court and won a high court order 2 weeks ago to be reinstated. The NUNW did this, but immediately suspended him again and ordered a disciplinary hearing regarding the reasons for his dismissal and the new suspension.