(MISA/IFEX) – On 20 June 2000, four journalists were briefly detained by Botswana police while covering activities marking Africa Refugee Day at the Dukwi refugee camp. However, Botswana authorities denied the allegation. South African journalist Diale Kgantsi, who reports for the South African Broadcasting Corporation (SABC), confirmed to MISA that he, camera operator Pat Pule, […]
(MISA/IFEX) – On 20 June 2000, four journalists were briefly detained by Botswana police while covering activities marking Africa Refugee Day at the Dukwi refugee camp. However, Botswana authorities denied the allegation.
South African journalist Diale Kgantsi, who reports for the South African Broadcasting Corporation (SABC), confirmed to MISA that he, camera operator Pat Pule, SABC correspondent Letlogile Lucas and Onene Chipuka, of “The Voice” newspaper, were briefly detained by police. Lucas and Chipuka were apparently released almost immediately, while Kgantsi and Pule were kept in an office where they were questioned on whether they had permission to film the activities and enter the refugee camp. The two journalists were released after about forty minutes, when a police officer intervened to confirm that they had received permission to cover the event.
In 1999, Botswana authorities issued a notice to the effect that anyone entering the Dukwi refugee camp had to receive clearance from the Office of the President.
A deputy permanent secretary in the Office of the President was quoted by the PANA news agency as saying that although Dukwi was a restricted area, the refugee day celebrations were “special”, and nobody could have been arrested for illegal entry.
