the Alternative Media community of Botswana

Partnership boosts Jet Community Awards

Thu, 05 Nov 2009 08:20:00 +0200

Free-to-air TV station e.tv this year joined forces with Edcon Group to take the seven-year-old Jet Community Awards to another level - to create awareness around community projects participation and give exposure to those who are working hard under difficult conditions to improve the lives of ‘forgotten' people living in socially-disadvantaged areas of Southern Africa.
Read full story... | Send to a friend

Botswana: Publishers challenge Media Practitioners Act in court

Tue, 12 May 2009 11:11:00 +0200

Botswana publishers, on 6 May 2009, registered a statutory notice with the attorney general and the Ministry of Communications Science and Technology, challenging the Media Practitioners Act of 2008.
Read full story... | Send to a friend

Botswana media head down the Zimbabwe path

Tue, 21 Apr 2009 10:55:00 +0200

GABORONE: The Media Practitioners Act (MPA) and the Intelligence and Security Act (ISA) recently enacted by the state “as a way of bringing accountability to the media” and safe guarding sovereignty have been described by journalists here as draconian legislatures that trample on democracy by muzzling the media and usurping basic civil rights.
Read full story... | Send to a friend

Botswana: Publishers to ignore interim committee

Thu, 12 Mar 2009 10:42:00 +0200

GABORONE: News media publishers in Botswana gathered on 10 March, 2009 and resolved not to respond to the current invitations from the government regarding the formation of the Interim Committee of the Media Council as dictated by the newly enacted Media Practitioners Act.
Read full story... | Send to a friend

Botswana: Media laws stir dissent within ruling party

Tue, 03 Mar 2009 11:49:00 +0200

GABORONE: There is growing dissent in the ruling Botswana Democratic Party (BDP) over laws that enable the government to regulate the media. Member of parliament, Keletso Rakhudu, broke ranks with his party by publicly criticising the Media Practitioner's Act as an "assault" on the "fundamentals" and "undermining" free and independent media. He claims a number of his colleagues shared his dismay but were fearful of speaking out.
Read full story... | Send to a friend

Botswana: Government passes repressive media law

Mon, 19 Jan 2009 10:07:00 +0200

The Government of Botswana has passed the controversial Media Practitioners Law, which was assented to by the executive on 22 December, 2008 and gazetted on 31 December. This follows a rushed enactment by Parliament in the same month, in which members of parliament were denied the opportunity to further subject the bill to debate.
Read full story... | Send to a friend

Botswana: Proposed law would give government power to interfere with media

Fri, 22 Aug 2008 09:29:00 +0200

Botswana Member of Parliament for Mogoditshane, Patrick Masimolole has called upon the Minister of Communications, Science and Technology to drop the Media Practitioners Bill arguing that the proposed law grants too much power to the ministry in interfering with the operations of the media.
Read full story... | Send to a friend

Controversial media practitioners' bill announced

Tue, 08 Jul 2008 14:51:00 +0200

On 27 June 2008, the government of Botswana gazetted a media practitioners' bill which is expected to regulate the media by, among other things, setting up a statutory press council. The bill also seeks to register media practitioners residing in Botswana and provides for hefty penalties for any violation of the law. As an example, anyone contravening the regulations stipulated in the bill would be liable for a penalty of 5,000 Botswana pulas (approximately US$750) or three months in prison.
Read full story... | Send to a friend

CNN Multichoice African Journalist 2008 finalists

Thu, 15 May 2008 16:04:00 +0200

Finalists in the prestigious CNN MultiChoice African Journalist 2008 Competition were announced today, 15 May 2008, by Azubuike Ishiekwene, Chair of the independent judging panel. This year the competition, now in its 13th year, received a record 1912 entries from 44 countries throughout the African continent, including French- and Portuguese-speaking Africa.
Read full story... | Send to a friend

African nations agree to $1 billion Indian satellite project

Fri, 30 Nov 2007 12:04:00 +0200

A critical mass of countries are signing on to a plan for India to invest $1 billion in the Pan-African e-Network satellite project, a joint initiative with the Africa Union aimed at developing the region's information and communication technology (ICT) infrastructure.
Read full story... | Send to a friend