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Instead of addressing politico - economic issues that arose from the budget, he veers off into political irrelevance, wilderness and unjustifiably, without any factual basis, attacks Mmegi Monitor and other media publications for allegedly supporting the BNF and the opposition. A culture of impertinence to issues under debate is so rife and rampant amongst Botswana Democratic Party (BDP) Parliamentarians. They always shy away from real issues of national importance and will be quick to circumvent a thorough debate on important socio- economic problems of the country. Just recently, the BNF Member of Parliament, Comrade Mokgwathi complained about the irrelevance of Shaw Kgathi as regards his contribution on the budget. Now we have another MP who is supposed to be possessed of some special skill and quality whose contribution to the budget is extremely outrageous and does not add any value to the debate.
In any case, how exactly do Mmegi Monitor and other media publications, give the opposition BNF and other opposition parties favourable coverage and reportage? Is it suggested that the media should not cover political activities and events of the BNF and other opposition parties and if they do that, they should be strangulated with withdrawal of government advertisement?
It is sad, pathetic and unacceptable that a whole MP for the ruling party should advocate for infringement of freedom of expression and a rape on democracy, simply because the opposition BNF, which owing to lack of resources does not even have any publication, get incidental coverage and reportage about its political activities from the private media. By the way, why shouldn’t the Media write about the BNF and who should tell the nation what the main opposition party is doing and saying about the state of their lives and democracy under the EDP rule? Should we rely on Radio Botswana, which is also Domkrag or BTV which is BDP TV for coverage of BNF activities and those of the other oppositions parties? Surely we cannot rely on these instruments of propaganda for the BDP government as their mission, mandate and objectives is nakedly to promote, advance and enforce the thinking and ideas of the BDP. Just to illustrate that state media caters for the interest of the BDP, we can refer to former Minister Sebetlela’s record on program from Radio Botswana and Minister Nasha’s editing of a debate she had on the land commission, which was to be broadcast on television. If we tune to Radio Botswana, it is always feeding us with what the president and his ministers are doing. Hardly do to you ever hear anything about opposition, unless it is something or information that tarnishes the image of the BNF. Given the above, what exactly are the basis of the accusations and criticisms that are levelled against the media, which for that matter does not favour the BNF? Is this not hypocrisy and political demagoguery. In law it is often said that “he who complains must complain with clean hands” and the Tswana people would say “mapodi ga ipona sese ma tlhogeng”. So how genuine, objective and reasonable are the complaints by this Member of Parliament whose party controls state media as instruments of propaganda. Though the BNF have on many occasions complained about the fact that state media is used to support BDP, they continue to do that. So the criticism of the private media in particular Mmegi Monitor is without merit and it is an attempt to stiffle and intimidate media into not covering activities of oppositions parties. This Member of Parliament probably think that because his party is in government they therefore, are government. Yes his party forms the government, but the government is separate from the party. A government is a special type of socio - economic and political entity which among other things, is the custodian of the of the national resources, ought to provide basic necessities to the people and holds so much power which if not properly exercised can intoxicate those in power to trample democratic rights of citizens with impurity. Therefore government must constantly be held accountable by criticisms from media, opposition parties, civil organisations and other interest groups, otherwise a culture of political repression and dictatorship develops. So any principled and human rights conscious media publication should always hold government accountable and report about activities of political organisations which seek to hold government accountable or any other activity which would improve the state of democracy in the country. To shy away from such tasks would be political bootlicking and sycophancy advocated by this Member of Parliament. And because of the special character of government briefly stated above, it is not a matter of privilege and favour that government advertises in private media. Rather it is a right and entitlement that private media should receive advertisements from the government as publications of the country which are citizen owned and provide employment to a number of Batswana and therefore are parties with the government in the fight against unemployment and general improvement of the lives of Batswana. There is presently talk about citizen economic empowerment and who besides the government can effectively empower the people through giving them business and other forms of assistance? So basically the remarks by Ntuane are a recipe for underdevelopment and violation of freedom of expression and we in the BNF Youth League view them as being irrelevant, sensational and utterly undemocratic and are possibly made with a view of further endear himself to BDP leadership for a Cabinet post and we condemn and reject them as worthless hallow utterances which are extremely unhelpful and self seeking.
Gabriel R. Kanjabanga
BNF Youth League President
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