Government must proactively communicate

In our Wednesday issue, we carry a story in which government is confirming an outbreak of German measles or Rubella in Gaborone, Francistown, Kweneng and South East parts of the country.

The shocking reality is that the information was provided at the instigation of Mmegi, and from the look of it government was not bothered in the least to inform the general public. We say so because government claims to have suspected there was an outbreak of the disease as early as July, but failed to authenticate its suspicions. This is absolutely reckless behaviour on the part of government considering the serious risk posed by Rubella. A woman infected with Rubella during the first 16 weeks of pregnancy may miscarry, give birth to a stillborn baby, or have a baby with birth defects. Studies show that as many as 15 percent of young women have never had Rubella, so they are at risk. And yet to the officers at Ministry  of Health (MoH), there was no need to inform the public about the outbreak and the potential risk to those exposed. 

The failure of the MoH to pass information to the public should not be condoned. But then again, there is nothing shocking about the attitude of the MoH. It appears this is the trend across government. Whether it is due to lack of knowledge and training in communication, failure to appreciate the need to be proactive, or simple ineptitude on the part of government officers concerned, we can never know. From time to time as media, we have to prise information that directly affects the nation from government.  Then, government comes trotting from behind to either set the record straight or dismiss our reports. But that is not how democracy works. A democratic government understands the need for proactive and transparent communication. Transparency subsumes trust. There is no doubt that many Batswana do not trust the government. And that is not because the media fomented the distrust, as government tends to believe. It is because government will not honestly communicate issues.

Editor's Comment
Congratulations Anicia Gaothuse!

The contest had 10 beautiful young girls as finalists and unfortunately only one could wear the crown.The judges picked Anicia Gaothuse. To all those who feel their contestant should have won ahead of Anicia for whatever reason, hardly; the judges found Anicia to be the best among the best, so desist from disrespecting our newly crowned queen on social media or anywhere else, for that matter! Each of the 10 beautiful young women had supporters...

Have a Story? Send Us a tip
arrow up