Publishers to ignore the interim committee and decline government to participate in state media council

News Media publishers gathered on March 10, 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 publishers. The publishers indicated that the executive committee of the media council would be the driving force behind the contested law, which compromises freedom of expression.

The media stakeholders, who included all the major mainstream news publishers, and MISA Botswana further resolved to seek redress from the courts should Government insist on their registration with the council. MISA Botswana therefore supports any court action initiated by the media stakeholders regarding the law.

It is MISA Botswana’s position that registration of media practitioners is unlawful, both in terms of the national constitution as well as international agreements that the country recognizes. There are other areas in the law, which are contrary to the expectations of the constitution regarding the freedom of expression, but registration remains the most explicit violation.

The public is further asked to understand the media stakeholders’ position regarding not participating in the current process. It is the view of publishers and MISA Botswana that giving legitimacy to the wrong, albeit legal, process may set a bad precedence and inflicts pain on existing civil liberties and constitutional rights.

Government must recognize the dangers obvious in the Media Practitioners Act. International opinion seems to support our view that the law is detrimental to the freedom of expression and others such as freedom of association.

MISA Botswana therefore encourages Batswana, the publishers and media practitioners in general to tread carefully when dealing with the new Act. The public is basing their hopes on the media stakeholders to protect its (public) interest and guard against infringements of rights.

Thapelo Ndlovu
National Director
MISA Botswana


Rashweat Mukundu
Programme Specialist: Media Freedom Monitoring
MISA Regional Secretariat
21 Johann Albrecht Street
Private Bag 13386
Windhoek, Namibia
Tel: + 264 61 232 975
Fax:+264 61 248016
Mobile: 00 264 813 675 362
E mail rashweat@misa.org, misaalerts@gmail.com

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