(MISA/IFEX) – Vanessa Chikuzunga, production assistant for the Customer Watchdog programme, broadcast on Monday mornings on GabzFM radio station, was recently threatened in a shop in Gaborone. A security guard and a staff person escorted her to the manager’s office demanding that she hand over the notebook she was using to record prices and expiry […]
(MISA/IFEX) – Vanessa Chikuzunga, production assistant for the Customer Watchdog programme, broadcast on Monday mornings on GabzFM radio station, was recently threatened in a shop in Gaborone. A security guard and a staff person escorted her to the manager’s office demanding that she hand over the notebook she was using to record prices and expiry dates.
Chikuzunga told MISA Botswana she was at the shop to carry out her usual inspection of prices and check-up on cleanliness of stores when a security guard approached her and demanded she see the manager. Chikuzunga said she explained to the manager what she was doing in the shop and wondered why she was thought to pose a threat when she was simply doing her job.
The manager demanded to know why she was writing down prices and told her that she was not welcome in the shop as it had the right of admission. He further threatened to withdraw advertising from GabzFM and sue Chikuzunga.
In an interview with MISA Botswana, the shop manager defended his stance about the right of admission being reserved, saying he would welcome any one checking prices provided they sought permission from management to do so. He further refuted having threatened to sue Chikuzunga or withdraw advertising from the station. The shop manager later said Chikuzunga was asked to report to his office because “she looked suspicious.”
MISA Botswana has appealed to shop owners not to exercise economic sanctions against media outlets by way of threats to withdraw advertising. It also pointed out that shop owners, should they be offended by any action by media practitioners, may lodge a complaint with the Press Council of Botswana. MISA Botswana further called on the Consumer Associations to sensitise and educate the public on their rights as consumers.
