Africa-Press – Botswana. Government is committed to reforming Botswana’s media sector to ensure independence, sustainability and alignment with democratic principles, Minister for State President Moeti Mohwasa, has affirmed.
Speaking during the official submission of the Media Task Team Report and Draft Media Legislative Framework on August 10, he said the reforms were not a partisan exercise, but a national effort to liberate the media space and secure the future of the industry.
“With the right reforms in place, we will achieve self-sustainability in the not-so-distant future. We do not want public media independence to be compromised because of lack of resources,” he said. Mr Mohwasa also said measures were already being implemented to strengthen state media, including publishing hard copies of state newspapers only twice a week to cut costs, while expanding digital publication.
He added that government was exploring several interventions that would pave way for transforming state media into a true public broadcaster. The minister also expressed confidence that the draft Media Bill would be ready for parliamentary consideration in November, commending the Task Team’s sacrifices and insights.
Chairperson of the Media Task Team, veteran journalist Mr Gideon Nkala, said the task team was established to review existing media laws, propose a framework in line with Botswana’s international obligations, and consult widely with stakeholders.
He also said the team engaged 23 local institutions and 11 international organisations, as well as the public through kgotla meetings, radio, and phone-in programmes. He noted that the team was mandated to produce two key documents a detailed report on the media environment with proposals for improvement, and a draft legislative framework.
“We extend our recommendation to the minister and government for having heeded calls from the media fraternity and the public for an environment of accurate, ethical, and professional reporting,” Mr Nkala said.
He said the Media Task Team began consultations on March 11 and, despite an initial 90-day deadline, extended its work to ensure broad input from media practitioners, civil society, legal experts, and the public.
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