Botswana And The Bushmen
US Department Of State Post Report
The American International School of Johannesburg (AISJ), which many mission children attend, is located midway between Johannesburg and Pretoria. It is situated on 67 acres of rolling hills. The school was established in 1982 and is a non-profit institution. AISJ is one of two schools in the area that offers a U.S. curriculum and school calendar (school year from August to June) for kindergarten through 12th grade. AISJ has an outstanding student-teacher ratio of one teacher to ten students. A limited program of physical education and sports activities is offered. If you have a child with special needs, please contact the school as soon as possible for information regarding the availability of programs for your child. The website for the school is: http://www.aisj-jhb.com/. Contact the school directly by telephone, 27-11-464-1505, or by fax, 27-11-464-1327. Enrollment for the 2003/2004 school year is approximately 460 students.The America ... [Read More]
US Department Of State Post Report
Secondary Schools. There are several secondary schools in Swaziland. One is Waterford KaMhlaba United World College, which provides a 5-year program leading to the British "0" level examinations followed by a 2-year International Baccalaureate (I.B.) program. The "O" level is roughly equivalent to a U.S. high school diploma, and the I.B. prepares students for colleges almost anywhere in the world. Students are usually admitted with advanced standing in the U.S. Waterford is set among the foothills overlooking Mbabane and is considered to be a good preparatory school. It is usually full and often has a waiting list. Every prospective student must take an entrance examination before being enrolled (used with age for placement purposes). Children should be age 11 by January 1 for Form One (U.S. equivalent is grade 7). There is a boarding section, and all I.B. students must board. A bus provides transportation for day students. The school's 320 students represent some 30 c ... [Read More]
US Department Of State Post Report
In the past, personnel coming to Namibia via Johannesburg on official or diplomatic passports required South African visas in order to exit South African airports’ transit areas. In February 2001 the South African High Commission in Windhoek confirmed that holders of U.S. passports (diplomatic, official, or regular) no longer need South African visas in order to enter South Africa. PetsLast Updated: 2/4/2005 3:02 PM Importation permits are required for all animals entering Namibia. The country that the pet is shipped from will determine if the pet will be subject to quarantine. Birds are subject to a 30-day quarantine. The application process for importation permits requires sending documents back and forth between the pet owner and the Namibian Ministry of Agriculture, Water, and ... [Read More]
Botswana
The Basarwa (also known as San), who now inhabit chiefly the Kalihari Desert, are the earliest known inhabitants of the country and were the only inhabitants until Bantu groups arrived during the 16th century. They are physically, linguistically, and culturally distinct from the rest of the population. They remain economically and politically marginalized; they have lost access to their traditional land in fertile regions of the country and are vulnerable to exploitation by their non-Basarwa neighbors. Their isolation, ignorance of civil rights, and lack of political representation have stymied their progress. The estimated 52,000 to 55,000 Basarwa persons represent approximately 3 percent of the country's total population. Although the Baswara traditionally were hunter-gatherers, most Basarwa now are employed as agricultural workers on farms or at cattle posts belonging to other ethnic groups. The formation of the 20,000 square mile Central Kalahari Game Reserve (CKGR) by the colonial ... [Read More]
Botswana
Pretrial detention was prolonged in a large number of cases. In Gaborone Central Prison, the average wait in prison before trial was 1 year. The Government attempted to alleviate the backlog of cases by temporarily hiring more judges and held a referendum in 2001 in which voters authorized amending the Constitution to raise the retirement age of judges from 65 to 70; however, several magistrates resigned during the year, and the backlog of cases increased. The Government sometimes held newly arrived refugees and asylum seekers in local jails until they could be interviewed by the Botswana Council for Refugees (BCR) or the U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) (see Section 2.d.). During the year, the Government completed construction of the Francistown Holding Center with a capacity of 504 illegal immigrants awaiting repatriation. There were 257 illegal immigrants in the holding center at year's end. BCR or the UNHCR interviewed ... [Read More]
Botswana
The Prisons Act grants relatives, lawyers, magistrates, and church organizations the right to visit prisoners for "rehabilitative purposes;" however, the Commissioner of Prisons has the authority to decide whether domestic and international human rights organizations may visit. Independent monitoring of prison conditions by human rights groups, the media, or the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) generally was allowed if these organizations sought permission from the Commissioner of Prisons; however, sometimes permission was denied. The BCHR was denied access to visit Lehlohonolo Bernard Kobedi, a Lesotho national sentenced to death for the murder of a police officer, following the organization's criticism of the executions of four convicted murderers (see Section 1.a.). The ICRC visited some prisons in September. d. Arbitrary Arrest, Detention, or Exile The Constitution prohibits arbitrary arrest and ... [Read More]
Botswana
The Basarwa (also known as San), who now inhabit chiefly the Kalihari Desert, are the earliest known inhabitants of the country, and were the only inhabitants until Bantu groups arrived during the 16th century. They are physically, linguistically, and culturally distinct from the rest of the population. They remain economically and politically marginalized; they have lost access to their traditional land in fertile regions of the country and are vulnerable to exploitation by their non-Basarwa neighbors. Their isolation, ignorance of civil rights, and lack of political representation have stymied their progress. The estimated 52-55,000 Basarwa persons represent about 3 percent of the country's total population. Although the Baswara traditionally were hunter-gatherers, most Basarwa now are employed as agricultural workers on farms or at cattle posts belonging to other ethnic groups. The formation of the 20,000 square mile Central Kalahari Game Reserve ... [Read More]
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