Africa-Press – Botswana. The Chinese Embassy in Botswana has donated five HP laptops and a MacBook Pro to the Department of Information Services, which houses and Kutlwano.
Receiving the donation in Gaborone on Friday, Information Services director, Ms Maria Leshongwane said the department’s relationship with the embassy was mainly through a partnership with Xinhua news agency.
She said the partnership, which dated back to early 2000s had helped the department to diversify content in the DailyNews.
The initial agreement, she noted was that the department bought content from Xinhua at a nominal fee.
Ms Leshongwane said the partnership was reviewed about six years ago and a new content-sharing agreement was signed with Xinhua offering content in exchange for stories from DailyNews.
The contract review, she said, came at a time when contracts with other wire services had ended and there was shortage of international content.
“If it was not for Xinhua stepping into the void left by other news agencies, our paper would strictly be carrying local content as we are unable to send reporters all over the world,” she said.
She also noted Xinhua supplied the department with positive stories on Africa.
Ms Leshongwane said the content-sharing agreement also meant that Xinhua would carry its DailyNews stories to a wider audience thereby marketing the country.
The Director noted with appreciation an opportunity offered by Xinhua for one of the department’s staff members to participate at the week-long Fifth World Media Summit in Guangzhou, China last December.
Handing over the devices, Ambassador Wang Xuefeng expressed the embassy’s wish to expand its relations with the department.
Ambassador Wang said China had assisted Botswana in several areas, noting that about 300 Batswana had attended training in China.
He said 60 Chinese doctors and nurses were expected in the country soon and would be placed at Princess Marina Hospital and Nyangabgwe Referral Hospital for two years.
In his vote of thanks, the department’s Acting Deputy Director, Mr Thebeyame Ramoroka said the donation came at the right time as this was an election year and there was a need for more resources.
He also said Botswana and China enjoyed good relations, noting that China had always extended a helping hand in various fields.
He expressed the department’s wish for the embassy through Xinhua to extend support in training editors and the online team, which would help improve the department’s online publications.
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