26 Jan 2025

Government has decided to completely repeal the existing Media Practitioners Association Act rather than review it.

This move will now allow the media to self-regulate.

This was indicated by the Minister for State President, Mr Moeti Mohwasa on Friday during a consultative meeting with the Media Institute of Southern Africa-Botswana Chapter (MISA) and the Botswana Editors Forum (BEF).

Mr Mohwasa therefore tasked MISA and BEF with drafting a new law that will promote media self-regulation and press freedom.

“You have to consultant as many stakeholders as necessary. The government will not take any part in drafting the bill. We are ready to implement whatever proposals you develop, provided they serve the best interest of the media,” he said.

Mr Mohwasa said that government believed that allowing the media to self-regulate would reduce incidents of ligation, thereby saving media houses unnecessary costs. He also expressed concerns about the mushrooming of online media houses and complaints from members of the public about the media.

“It is, therefore, upon you to address this and salvage your reputation by formulating a law that not only establishes a professional code of conduct but also provides a clear channel for handling public complaints against unethical journalism,” he said.

Mr Mohwasa also pledged the government’s commitment to supporting the media in addressing challenges such as poor working conditions, journalists’ welfare, and media sustainability.

Media Institute of Southern Africa Botswana chairperson, Mr Thomas Nkhoma thanked the minister and government for seeing it fit to consult and task media bodies to be the architects of a law regulating them.

“A media-friendly environment will assist in promoting ethics and high professional standards in the industry. There is also a need to address issues of training and poor media sustainability due to lack of resources as part of factors that would bring trust and professionalism in the media sector,” he. said.

Mr Nkhoma said that their ultimate desire as media practitioners was to see a vibrant and engaging media in Botswana, which he said was undoubtedly an integral part of a thriving democracy.

Botswana Editors Forum chairperson, Mr Lawrence Seretse also welcomed the move by the government to allow media self-regulation but wondered just how much power the new arrangement will have in those seen to violate the code of conduct.

He therefore said there was a need for a statutory body for meditation to minimize litigations.

Mr Seretse said that by allowing media self-regulation, the government allowed the media to iron out its internal issues.

MISA Botswana and BEF were requested to have readied the draft document by the end of March to allow the minister to table the bill at parliament. ENDS