Download - Media Institute of Southern Africa

BOTSWANA
State of the media in Southern Africa 2002
ALERT
DATE: 2002-05-06
PERSON(S): Media in Botswana
VIOLATION(S): Threatened
Minister of Presidential Affairs and
Public Administration Daniel
Kwelagobe recently lambasted reporters
from state-owned Botswana
Television (BTV) for airing what he
termed “insults” uttered by Neo
Mothlabane, leader of the opposition
Botswana People’s Party, at the
“kgotla” (traditional court) in the
town of Molepolole.
The minister explained that the reporters
should have edited out the offending
parts of the tape. He urged
them to sanitise what they report to
the public and added that the words
“denigrated the person of President
Festus Mogae.”
Kwelagobe’s sentiments over BTV
reporters was condemned by some
sectors of civil society, including
MISA-Botswana, which believes the
minister was interfering with the media.
MISA-Botswana National Director
Modise Maphanyane told a news
team from Gabz FM radio that his
organisation does not condone the
interference from the minister and
urged Kwelagobe to allow the media
to work independently.
However, Kwelagobe launched another
scathing attack on the private
media in Parliament, for what he
called “sensationalism and lack of indepth
reporting on the ongoing tribal
debate.” The minister was responding
to comments by members of parliament
about the Revised Draft Government
White Paper on the Presidential
Commission of Inquiry into the
Constitution of Botswana.
The minister expressed his belief
that the scope of news coverage for
state media and the private press is
not the same. He said state media act
as “a tool for nation building” while
private media outlets are “driven by
business motives.”
ALERT
DATE: 2002-05-06
PERSON(S): Radio Botswana,
Modise Maphanyane
VIOLATION(S): Censored
On Monday April 22, 2002, thousands
of Radio Botswana listeners were
shocked to learn that the much-advertised
“Live-Line” programme would
not be aired. The popular talk show,
which features discussions on topical
issues, was called off only 30 minutes
before its scheduled time. The
station ran an apology instead, to the
effect that it could not air the programme
due to circumstances beyond
its control.
The weekly “Mmegi Monitor” reported
that that day’s scheduled programme
was to feature a discussion
about the scope of the reporting expected
from public service media outlets.
When questioned about the cancellation
of his programme, the producer
refused to comment and instead
directed the “Mmegi Monitor” to the
office of the Director of Information
and Broadcasting.
MISA-Botswana National Director
Modise Maphanyane was scheduled
as a panelist on the cancelled programme.
His views on press freedom,
especially concerning the independence
of the editorial process in light
of recent calls by members of parliament
to sanitise the public broadcast-
So This Is Democracy? 39