Botswana

Although ARTICLE 19 welcomes the initiative to draft a law on access to information, it falls short of international and regional standards on freedom of expression and requires amendments.

According to media reports, Yarona FM broadcast allegations that the MP was bribed while accompanying the under 23 national football team on a friendly match in China.

Two photojournalists were arrested and released after “cutting a deal” with a police officer, whereby they were forced to delete pictures depicting police harassment.

Lefoko Mogapaesi was arrested and detained while reporting on a high-profile case.

The Bakgatla tribe chief withdrew the lawsuits in an out of court settlement.

The code of conduct would have gone a long way in enforcing equal coverage of political parties during elections, says MISA.

The CEO of Gabz FM radio station banned all political broadcasts on the station, reportedly following a complaint from the ruling party.

Opposition parties are increasingly voicing their concern over their exclusion from the state media during a crucial election period.

The Botswana Congress Party (BCP) Youth League stormed the Botswana Television (BTV) complex in protest against the broadcaster’s refusal to cover the party’s rallies.

President Ian Khama has abandoned plans to sue the “Sunday Standard” newspaper for defamation.

Interviewed by MISA Botswana on May 27, Pitse said, “I take extra care to protect my sources as anyone I speak to could be suspected of leaking security information to me.”

(MISA/IFEX) – Botswana publishers, on 6 May 2009, registered a statutory notice with the attorney general and the Ministry of Communications Science and Technology, challenging the Media Practitioners Act of 2008. The step brings to fruition the publishers’ resolution of March 2009 in which they resolved to take the legal route in their quest to […]

(MISA/IFEX) – Parties involved in the production of “UB Horizon”, a student community newspaper of the University of Botswana, have confirmed to MISA Botswana that at least two articles were removed from the newspaper at the time of printing because they were viewed as “politically sensitive”. The editor of the newspaper, Angela Mdlalani, confirmed to […]

(MISA/IFEX) – News media publishers gathered on 10 March 2009 and resolved not to respond to the current invitations from the government regarding the formation of the Interim Committee of the Media Council as dictated by the newly enacted Media Practitioners Act. MISA Botswana, which was in attendance and facilitated the meeting, sympathises with the […]

(MISA/IFEX) – On 24 February 2009 the “Daily News”, a government newspaper, ran a rebuttal of the Media Practitioners Act petition which was initiated by MISA and signed by various international media and freedom of expression organizations. The front-page story supports the government’s position on the Media Practitioners Act and attacks the petition as, “misunderstanding […]

(MISA/IFEX) – The preliminary results of an Afro Barometer Survey, released on 20 February 2009, indicate that a majority of people in Botswana support press freedom and critical speech. The survey, conducted by the Department of Political and Administration Studies, Sociology and Statistics at the University of Botswana reveals that “Batswana overwhelmingly showed their support […]