03 Sep 2024

The government is committed to improving the local, regional and continental media landscape in partnership with the African Union of Broadcasting (AUB).

This was said by Acting President His Honour Slumber Tsogwane when delivering a keynote address during the 15^th AUB general assembly in Gaborone yesterday. 

Botswana, he said, had maintained an active AUB membership and was committed to ensuring that the media personnel produced high-quality radio and television content that reflected African’s diverse narratives.

The partnership that the AUB enjoyed with Botswana and all member nations across Africa, Mr Tsogwane said was of vital importance, expressing appreciation for the support and training of media personnel, content exchange and the facilitation of rights negotiations through the AUB.

Such initiatives, the Acting President said empowered local media and also enriched the content made available to communities, stressing that collaboration through content exchange represented a significant advancement and an opportunity for African broadcasters to share authentic stories, which fostered a greater understanding of their culture.

Broadcasters in Africa, Mr Tsogwane said were navigating a complex landscape marked by technological advancements and new challenges, ‘prompting us to be both proactive and intentional in addressing these issues to stay relevant and impactful on our audiences’.

For that reason, he expressed gratitude to the AUB general assembly organisers for bringing the high-level meeting to fruition and for working hard to make it a success, saying the assembly afforded broadcasters a platform to discuss current and topical issues that affected the broadcasting landscape.

“Your presence here, today, cements Africa’s resolve to develop and empower the television and radio industry and I trust that you will have constructive and fruitful deliberations throughout this assembly,” he said.

Coming together to share resources and exchanging ideas, Mr Tsogwane said could help address a myriad of challenges posed by new technologies, climate change and the management of audio-visual waste.

Additionally, he said leveraging on collective strengths would also enable Africans to tell their stories authentically and powerfully, whilst securing a sustainable future for the media industry.

“Our resolve to develop and strengthen our media landscape remains critical, as it is our story as Africans that we must tell with pride, stories like Botswana athlete Letsile Tebogo’s incredible gold medal victory in the 200m at the recent Olympic Games in Paris, a triumph not only for Botswana, but for Africa,” he added.

The theme of the general assembly, The Future of African Media Facing the Challenges of New Technologies and Climate Change, he said was appropriate, ‘because we live in an era of rapid technological advancement that challenges us to hatch new strategies to ensure that we are not left behind’.

In her welcome remarks, Assistant Minister for State President Honourable Boitumelo Gofhamodimo recalled that in his insightful address to the 14th AUB general assembly, in 2009, as the Minister for Presidential Affairs and Public Administration then, His Excellency President Dr Mokgweetsi Eric Keabetswe Masisi stressed the critical need for Africa to embrace digital transitions and transformation.

“His sentiments ring true, today, as they did the first time. Let his words echo loudly, even today, as we gather to seek ways of collaborating, paving the way for a modern Africa we want. That is Africa in which broadcasting systems are reflective of the continent’s diverse rich cultures and societies, as well as positive stories of social economic development,” she said. 

Ms Gofhamodimo emphasised that the development of African continent’s own media content in the digital age, was imperative.

“Be proactive in ensuring that Africa stories are known and shared with confidence, through our unique platforms, as well as to strengthen cooperation amongst yourselves as AUB members,” she added.

For that reason, she urged AUB members to come up with ideas that would take Africa forward in this era of technological advancement and digitalisation, by ensuring the gathering was not a mere talk shop. 

For his part, AUB president, Mr Cleophas Barore, in his remarks, expressed gratitude to the government for the good reception extended to AUB members, expressing belief that the assembly would yield fruitful deliberations and recommendations that would help in moving the continent forward.

Radio and television, he said, both played a significant role in informing the communities to ensure citizens made informed decisions, even today in the social media era.

He also encouraged AUB members to form successful and reliable partnerships and work collaboratively in order to succeed in addressing all issues dear to the continent. Ends