Africa-Press – Botswana. The Media Institute of Southern Africa (MISA)-Botswana Chapter hosted a golf tournament bringing together media professionals, corporate partners and supporters to champion press freedom, media sustainability, and public health in the country.
In an interview on the sidelines of the gold tournament at the Gaborone Golf Club on Friday, MISA Board member, Kabo Ramasia said the tournament was aimed at raising funds to support MISA’s operations while also promoting awareness and action against Non-Communicable Diseases (NCDs), which continued to pose a growing threat to public health.
“This tournament is not only about sport, it is about purpose; the funds we raise will support MISA’s work in building capacity among media professionals, tackling cyber security and digital threats, and expanding our professional networks,” said Ramasia.
He emphasised that alongside media development, the fight against NCDs such as diabetes, hypertension, and heart disease remained a critical focus.
“Sustained awareness and advocacy on these health issues are essential, hence we engage people to keep strong,” he added.
The event attracted over 100 participants from both public and private sectors, fostering a vibrant atmosphere of competition and camaraderie on the golf course.
Participants engaged not only in sport but also in raising awareness about challenges faced by the media industry and strengthening collaboration among stakeholders.
Ramasia underscored the importance of equipping journalists to handle modern challenges in the digital age, including misinformation, surveillance, and online harassment.
“Protecting journalists and enhancing media capacity are growing priorities for MISA Botswana,” he said.
He also stressed the media’s vital role as educators in public health, noting that better media engagement and training could significantly support awareness campaigns on NCDs.
“We see the media not only as watchdogs but also as educators, raising awareness about NCDs is something we can support through better media engagement and training,” he added.
He said the proceeds from the tournament would go toward key areas including, capacity building for journalists and media houses, cyber security training and initiatives to address digital threats, public education campaigns on NCDs, and strengthening media networks and collaborations both locally and regionally.
Department of Broadcasting Services (DBS) acting director, Buyani Zongwane acknowledged that media organisations in Botswana needed financial support in order to facilitate their daily operations and activities.
Zongwane, who is also former national director at MISA added that activities like the golf tournament, enabled MISA to tackle issues affecting the media landscape.
He urged corporate entities to support MISA as it strives to capacitate journalist to do report better.
The day ended with a prize-giving ceremony and a networking session during which attendees voiced strong support for MISA’s work and encouraged the creation of more community-focused initiatives.
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