SADC Chair Handover: South Africa takes over the SADC chairpersonship at the Aug. 17 summit in Durban, with migration, trade, critical minerals, industrialisation and security on the agenda. Election Integrity in Zambia: AU-COMESA observers and former Botswana president Mokgweetsi Masisi say Zambia’s vote-count pause and suspension of counting risk undermining credibility, urging stakeholders to use legal channels for grievances. DRC-Rwanda Peace Monitoring: Rwanda and the DRC agreed in Geneva to strengthen monitoring and verification under the Washington Accords, including a trilateral planning conference in October and a revised operations order. Botswana’s Finance Watch: Botswana’s current account returned to surplus in 2025 on stronger diamond exports, but structural pressure remains as external debt rises and the non-mining deficit persists. Water Utilities Strain: WUC reported a P554.6m loss for FY ended March 31, 2024, citing higher costs, legal provisions, weaker cash and heavy customer debt. BURS VAT Push: Botswana’s revenue authority targets over P400m more VAT from remote services, using regional tax expertise to modernise the system. Power Sector Tension: TUCOSWA and NUM warn Eskom restructuring/privatisation could raise electricity costs and destabilise service delivery for Eswatini. Wildlife & Conservation: Prince Harry redirected Diana memorial fund income to Botswana-based Elephants Without Borders, including satellite tracking collars for elephants in the Okavango Delta. Mining Updates: Power Metal says its first Molopo Farms drill hole hit suspected nickel mineralisation; assays are pending. Karowe Diamond Focus: Lucara reiterates Karowe’s “undeniable” resource quality as open-pit mining nears completion and the underground project advances.