Botswana Time

U.S. Department of State [Read More]

Privacy Statement - "Gaborone Botswana"

You may choose to provide us with personal information, as in e-mail with a comment or question. We use the information to improve our service to you or to respond to your request. Sometimes we forward your e-mail to other U.S. government agencies who may be better able to help you. Except for authorized law enforcement investigations, we do not share our e-mail with any other outside organizations. Links to External Websites ...

We collect no personal information about you when you visit our site unless you choose to provide this information to us. However, we do automatically collect and store the name of the domain from which you access the Internet (.com, .edu, etc.); the date and time you access our site; and the Internet address of the website (such as a search engine or referring page) from which you reached our site. We use the information we collect to count the number of visitors to the different pages on our site, and to help us make our site more useful to visitors like you. If You Send Us E-mail ... [Read More]

Passport Information - "Gaborone Botswana"

As of March 1, 2005 fees for U.S. passports will increase. The application fee for first-time adult applicants will increase to US$97.00. Passports for minors under age 16, first-time or renewal, will increase to US$82.00. The adult renewal application fee will increase to US$67.00. In instances where research is necessary to verify the citizenship of an applicant, an additional charge of US$60.00 will be added to the above fees. ... [Read More]

The Fulbright Program - "Gaborone Botswana"

Applicants must have a sufficiently high level of English proficiency to enable them to complete a full-time program of graduate study in the United States. ...

If you cannot access the online application form please contact the Cultural Affairs Specialist, Ms. Naomi Kelesitse at 3953982 ext. 5422 or e-mail her at KelesitseN@state.gov to prepare application packets, which must be submitted typed. Please call the secretary at ext 5415 ahead of time to check if packets are available for collection. The deadline for submission is September 2, 2003. ... [Read More]

Voting Information - "Gaborone Botswana"

A note on shipment: While overseas residents are authorized use of the diplomatic pouch for absentee voting, voters may also choose to send their ballots back to the U.S. via Botswana Post or commercial carrier. Commercial carrier is the most reliable and expeditious way to ensure the ballot reaches your registrar of voters intact and in time. ...

3. In the event that you do not receive your absentee ballot three weeks before it is due, you are entitled to complete a Federal Write-in Absentee Ballot (FWAB) in its place. The FWAB is available in the consular section for anyone who has not received an absentee ballot by mail in time to return it. While federal law allows all voters to use this ballot for federal office, some states may not permit you to use it to vote for state or local office. Voters are responsible for obtaining the names of candidates and initiatives that appear on the ballot in their jurisdiction for FWAB purposes. The consular section cannot provide this information. The FWAB can be submitted to the consular section for diplomatic pouch without US postage. Remember that you must have already requested an absentee ballot and be resident in Botswana in order to qualify for use of the FWAB. ... [Read More]

SPECIAL SCREENING OF “SILENT SPRING” - "Gaborone Botswana"

The American Embassy invites press and the general public to a screening of the film Silent Spring, in commemoration of World Environment Day. The program will take place on Wednesday, June 8, beginning at 3:30 p.m. sharp. We request that you arrive 15 minutes prior to the commencement of the film to allow time for the security screening. Light refreshments will be served following the film. ... [Read More]

How To Apply - "Gaborone Botswana"

Visas for which one has applied on Mondays may generally be collected after 15:00 that same afternoon. Visas for which one has applied on Friday may generally be collected between 12:00 noon and 13:00 that same afternoon. Please note that the embassy closes every Friday at 13:30 and you will not be permitted to remain or enter after that time. ...

Visas for which one has applied on Wednesday may generally be collected after 09:00 Thursday morning. All visa collection times are approximate and dependent upon security procedures. ... [Read More]

Completion of the U.S. HIV/AIDS Emergency Plan Five-Year Strategy and 2005 Country Operational Plan for Botswana - "Gaborone Botswana"

Mr. Christopher Molomo, the new Coordinator of the National AIDS Coordinating Agency (NACA), also expressed a great deal of satisfaction with the collaborative planning process and its products: “This process has produced a strategy and plan that support the priorities and plans laid out in the National HIV/AIDS Strategic Framework and the National Operational Plan. We are thankful for the continued support and collaboration of the U.S. Government, which continues to help Botswana meet our national goals of preventing new HIV infections and mitigating the harmful effects of HIV/AIDS. This commitment is coming at a time when Botswana has been experiencing budget deficits. It could not have been more timely as it provides hope. This undoubtedly calls for continued and more strengthened financial management and prudent utilization of these resources.” ... [Read More]

Nieman Fellowship For Journalists Now Recruiting For 2005-6 - "Gaborone Botswana"

Applicants must have at least five years of professional experience as a journalist. Journalists working full-time or as freelancers for the news or editorial departments of newspapers, radio, television, magazines of general public interest or online news organizations are eligible to apply. Each applicant must obtain the consent of his or her employer for a leave of absence for the academic year, August to June. ... [Read More]

Botswana

The law permits a maximum 48-hour workweek, exclusive of overtime, that is payable at time and a half for each additional hour. Most modern private sector jobs had a 40-hour workweek; however, the public sector had a 48-hour workweek. ...

Rape was another serious problem, especially given the high incidence of HIV/AIDS. During the year, 1,386 incidents of rape were reported. By law, the minimum sentence for rape is 10 years increasing to 15 years with corporal punishment if the offender is HIV-positive, and to 20 years with corporal punishment if the offender knew his or her HIV-positive status. A person convicted of rape is required to undergo an HIV test before being sentenced; however, the test did not determine if the person was HIV positive at the time of the crime. Police lacked basic investigative techniques in rape cases. The law does not address marital rape; however, in August 2003, a magistrate dismissed a case of alleged marital rape on the grounds that the marriage contract implies consent, making rape impossible unless a husband and wife were legally separated. The plaintiff, who had sought refuge in a women's shelter, had been abducted and raped repeatedly by her husband. ... [Read More]