Hukuntsi BDP SMS President's office

| Friday March 7, 2008 00:00

 

It is a sunny Saturday afternoon in Hukuntsi and the Botswana Democratic Party rally is drawing to a close. As yet another speaker gets on the microphone, the man who acts as MC walks to the back of the crowd where Potso Thari, a Botswana Press Agency (BOPA) reporter, is standing.

She leans on a car. Judge Molemele, the BDP branch chairman, is a cleanly shaved man. He has a red cap on, red-shirt and black pants. He wears glasses. He smiles often. And he is smiling right now.

Molemele wants to discuss the small matter of the photograph of the Botswana National Front candidate, Phillip Khwae, which appeared on the Tuesday 26th February edition of the government-owned Daily News.

He wants to know why Khwae's photo appears while that of the BDP candidate, Victor Motobake, does not appear.

'I mean, they were both there, and I believe the photographer would have taken the photos for both candidates. Why didn't our photo appear? This looks bad because the BNF has been using the fact that their candidate's photo appears in the newspaper, saying even a government paper recognises their candidate while it does not recognise ours,' he confides.

He pauses, and then as if to give the matter more gravity, he says 'We have taken up the matter with our party leadership. We have briefed the secretary general about this,' adding, 'This matter is important. I mean it is a matter that has even reached the VP'.
Thari explains that she does not make editorial decisions, so she cannot answer the question. 

However, she urges him to contact the editor of the newspaper. Thari walks away from the noise, gets on the phone and tries to call someone. She speaks for a while and then comes back.

The next speaker is nearly done and Motobake has to get back on the microphone to introduce yet another speaker. The rally continues with the main speaker, secretary general, Jacob Nkate wowing the crowd with an attack on the BNF leader Otsweletse Moupo.

At the end of the rally, Mmegi gets time with Molemele to explain his bone of contention.  As it drizzles, Molemele settles inside the car and fields questions.

'My complaint is that if the photo of our candidate was taken, why wasn't it used? Secondly, I want to know what criteria was used to decide that the BNF photo was more suitable for the newspaper.

That is why I spoke to her. We have written a letter raising these issues,' he says. 'What would you have preferred?' I ask.

'If they had both pictures I would not complain. But for them to put Khwae's and leave ours out is unfair, don't you think?' he asks rhetorically.

'Reporters in the media often complain that the BDP activists put them under pressure. That it wants to hog all government media spots for itelf. Don't you think this is exactly what is happening?' I ask.

'I don't know about that. All I know is that this particular matter is unfair on us,' says Molemele.

'Why did you have to mention the vice president? How does he feature in this if this is a normal complaint from your party to the editorial team of Daily News?'

He pauses and looks away. 'Well, I will have nothing to do with this part of the discussion'. 'I heard you say that to the reporter,' I point out.

'Well, I would like to differ with you and say I never mentioned the VP,' Molemele says. 'I am positive you did,' I say.

'Well, go and write that and I will sue you. I will sue your paper if you wrote that I mentioned the VP,' he says and prepares to leave the car.

Molemele has since spoken to the photographer, Tshoganetso Mokowe, about the issue.  Mokowe and Thari were not in a position to comment, referring Mmegi to their seniors at the Information Services Department. Department of Information Services chief information officer, Kebareng Solomon indicates that her office has not received any communication from the BDP. She says ordinarily these matters would be referred to her office.

'Any complaints regarding a story goes through the bureau chief, the editor and eventually us here, who would then reply to the issues raised,' she says.

The BOPA Bureau Chief in Kanye, Richmond Mahehe, would not comment. Nkate confirms that indeed he was briefed by the BDP in Hukuntsi about the matter. 'I feel they have a reasonable complaint and I will definitely follow it up.

There is nothing threatening about that. They have a complaint and they have every right to pursue it. I could follow it up but right now we are too busy campaigning to have time to discuss matters like these,' said Nkate yesterday.