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State of the media in Southern Africa 2002
2002
er’s content, are well known.
Director of Information and Broadcasting
Andrew Sesinyi declined to
comment on the issue.
MISA-Botswana reports that over
the last few months, it has witnessed
a hunt of persons within the media
who seemingly do not tolerate governmental
interference in a specific
media outlet’s editorial policies.
The general manager of Botswana
Television (BTV) recently resigned,
apparently on personal grounds. He
is the second general manager to have
resigned in recent months.
ALERT
DATE: 2002-05-24
PERSON(S): Stryker Motlaloso
VIOLATION(S): Beaten, threatened
On Saturday May 19, 2002, Stryker
Motlaloso, news editor from the
weekly newspaper “Mmegi”, was assaulted
by opposition Botswana National
Front (BNF) politician David
Mhiemang at a political rally held at
the Botswana Building Society Mall.
In an interview with MISA-Botswana,
Motlaloso said he had gone
to cover the rally when Mhiemang
approached him and accused him of
reporting negatively about BNF party
activities. Mhiemang then punched
Motlaloso’s right eye and insulted
him in the presence of his fellow journalists
and other people who were attending
the rally. The opposition politician
later threatened to stab the journalist
with a knife, which he took out
of his pocket.
Motlaloso did not retaliate, but decided
to walk away from the scene.
On Monday, May 20, the journalist
40 So This Is Democracy?
pressed charges against the politician
at the Broadhurst Police Station. Police
Public Relations Officer Chris
Mbulawa confirmed the charge in a
telephone interview with MISA-Botswana,
and said the police were looking
for Mhiemang, who lives in the
town of Molepolole, about 50 kilometres
from the capital, Gaborone.
The BNF is the country’s main opposition
party. The party is currently
reeling from factional fighting.
ALERT
DATE: 2002-07-04
PERSON(S): Solomon Monyame
VIOLATION(S): Legislation
Popular Gabz FM radio presenter and
MISA-Botswana Chairperson Solomon
Monyame and Gabz FM management
have been jointly sued for
the sum of Botswana Pula 1.7 million
(approx. US$279,330) in damages
over announcements broadcast on the
station’s breakfast show on 6 June
2002.
On June 6, Monyame announced
between 06h45 and 06h55 that he
would interview Radio Botswana 2
(RB2) announcer Gloria Kgosi on allegations
that she was harassed by
Botsalo Ntuane, executive secretary
of the ruling Botswana Democratic
Party (BDP), on RB2’s premises, thus
delaying the airing of the national
news by seven minutes.
The pre-arranged telephone interview
did not take place as Kgosi was
not available to comment on the matter.
Nonetheless, “Gabz FM” callers
continued to comment on the matter
the next day.
Reacting to the announcement,
Ntuane instructed his attorney, Isaac