Boko ‘fake news’ dictum sparks row

Ryder Gabathuse | Monday May 12, 2025 14:18

In a sweeping statement he made recently, Boko lambasted the local press alleging 90 % of media reports are fake, triggering a heated response from the practitioners calling his assessment ‘fake’. Boko recently told a Cabinet retreat held at the Pavilion conference facility in Gaborone to defend freedom of expression.

At a meeting that was also attended by various senior government officials, the President whose government is human rights slant, started off by recognising members of the Fourth Estate and the work that they are doing, “including the spread of fake news.”

He told his Cabinet recently: “I was reading last night, reminding myself of freedom of expression. And I reminded myself that freedom of expression must be defended, even most when it hurts. Not only when it flatters. Because sometimes it flatters only to deceive.”

He also indicated that when freedom of expression, “hurts us, we must put our bodies in line for defence. Freedom of expression is one of the most important fundamental rights that are enshrined in the Constitution.” Although the President has not said it in plain terms, a big question is what has happened between January and now?

Media Institute of Southern Africa (MISA) Botswana chapter board chairperson, Thomas Nkhoma is still in a state of shock as to his best knowledge nothing has happened to warrant the President’s vitriolic.

“To be honest, I find the President’s sustained attacks on the media quite concerning. His recent claim that 90% of media reports are fake is not only sweeping and unsubstantiated but it risks undermining the role of the press in a democratic society,” Nkhoma told Mmegi.

To Nkhoma, statements of that nature especially without any research or empirical evidence are unfair. “To suggest that the majority of what the media produces is false paints an unflattering and unfair picture not just of journalists, but of society at large,” he said.

Nkhoma insisted that journalists are not outsiders to the communities they report on. They are shaped by and report from within the same society.

“Their stories, ideas and narratives are influenced by the people and issues around them. If we say 90% of their work is false, then we are indirectly suggesting that Batswana themselves who serve as sources, subjects and consumers, are inherently dishonest. That is an uncomfortable and frankly, dangerous generalisation to make,” MISA Botswana chairperson observed.

That said, Nkhoma feels introspection is necessary on the part of the media. He conceded they (media) have their own flaws.

Admittedly, he said one of the recurring issues is the tendency to deny subjects their right of reply. Some outlets avoid seeking comment simply because they fear that a balanced response might dilute the sensational edge of the story.

“That is unacceptable and erodes public trust. If we are serious about strengthening the credibility of journalism, we must hold ourselves to higher standards of fairness and accountability,” the former state media scribe asserted.

“In short, yes, we should be worried about the state of the media locally. But, we should be equally worried about a political environment that devalues the press through broad-brush condemnation. Constructive criticism is healthy. Demonising the media is not,” he told Mmegi.

For his part, Sello Motseta- country correspondent for the Associated Press and Publisher of The Tswana Times online newspaper the open contempt and disdain shown by President Boko for the independent media is both astounding and bizarre. To him, the UDC government is unlikely to have assumed State power without the coverage it received from a critical private press.

He noted that Boko in making unprovoked attacks on the private press is also setting the wrong tone for his subordinates having barely settled into office.

“We are in the middle of a process in which his government is reviewing all media laws and there are debates about the wisdom of embracing statutory regulation of the media. His comments suggest any regulation of the media in Botswana is likely to be politically self-serving,” declared Motseta worriedly.

His take is that we should be opening champagne bottles to celebrate government's willingness to transform the State media into a public media. Instead, “we find ourselves questioning the intentions and bona fides of our recently elected leader.”

He added: “It defies belief that a lawyer with extensive practical experience of the law should make such reckless comments. Botswana has punitive defamation laws and if what the President is saying is true, most commercial newspapers in Botswana would be undergoing foreclosure.”

The senior scribe observed that Boko in opposition was a darling of the media, “in power like most African leaders he is beginning to exhibit worrying idiosyncratic tendencies - showing a propensity to react negatively to constructive criticism.” He describes the development as a situation unlikely to improve in the short term especially with shortfalls in government revenues and plans to roll out extensive social safety nets.

Motseta also said it is not clear where all the money will come from especially given that the country is in a recessionary economic climate. Unemployment remains high at over 17% and so Boko needs to be statesmen like and solve the country's problems. Not deferring responsibility and playing the blame game. Boko is entitled to legal redress for unwarranted slander and mischaracterisation of facts.

Diamond revenues are slow and the situation is unlikely to be helped by US tariffs of 37% on Botswana imports to US.

“This is also likely to hurt beneficiation efforts. It will be cheaper to cut and polish diamonds in India, which is facing lower tariffs and a much more productive workforce. It will make Botswana diamonds very expensive. Boko should take us into his confidence about how he intends to solve these problems instead of playing the blame game with the media. Deferring responsibility will not solve his problems,” demanded Motseta.

He also indicated that Boko had assured the nation during the inauguration last October that he was open to criticism, “but barely six months into office the pendulum is swinging in the wrong direction. It is alarming and concerning.”

“The Boko who says 90% of all media reports are lies is unlikely to introduce the regulations required to operationalise the Access to Information Act signed into law by former president Mokgweetsi Masisi in October 2024,” Motseta feared.

He added: “ Despite the fact that it is a very progressive piece of legislation. It will be a sad day for democracy if this should transpire and would set the wrong tone for his government which assumed State power with enormous goodwill and support.”

Meanwhile, Sunday Standard editor and publisher, Outsa Mokone says attack against the media by the President is not an isolated incident, but part of a pattern “and we should be very worried, not only for free speech but for democracy in general.”

He said democracy being government of the people by the people, requires that any true democratic leader should have a natural inclination to credit all citizens with the right and competence to influence the process of government,” but what we are seeing is a President who discredits everybody; lawyers, judges, journalists and MPs except himself. Any presumed democratic leader who believes he is the only one with the competence to influence the agenda of governance is innately a dictator masquerading as an advocate of democracy.”

A colleague who prefers anonymity declares: “I think the President’ concerns on fact checking are valid, however, the pitfall was in saying 90% of stories aren't true.”

He thinks the President moved from rationality to arguing with emotions reflected in his baseless statistics.

He stressed that media freedom comes with a responsibility, which involves reporting that is accurate and lives up to the ethos of journalism.

Another veteran journalist who preferred to remain anonymous observed: “The comments by the President generally reflect what we hear from the media consuming public in the age of disinformation and open scrutiny of media products. However, the statements it must be said are an unnecessarily blanket condemnation of an entire profession or at least an unfair generalisation.” He highlighted that the profession has many hardworking and honest practitioners across the different beats from sports, business, general news and my suspicion is that his comments target political reporters. “Even within that subset, it would be grossly unfair and inaccurate to say 90% of their reportage is fake.”

He added that fake also implies malice by the way and excludes whatever honest mistake may crop up in reportage.

He also welcomed the Ministry for State President’s efforts to facilitate media self-regulation which will alleviate some of these concerns and also help the continuous efforts of well meaning media to get things right.

Blanket condemnations, in this light, he said don’t help and could inflame public hostility towards a critical institution in our democracy.”

Quizzed about what could be worrying the State President, Press Secretary to the President Emang Mutapati said: “It’s the lack of self regulation from the media, which trivialises journalism and reduces it to a hobby instead of an important profession that it is supposed to be in a democracy, providing citizens with factual information they need to have in order to hold their leaders accountable.”

She said Law Society of Botswana over and above advocating and representing the interests and the rights of lawyers, maintain standards in the legal profession by ensuring that lawyers maintain high ethical and professional standards.

“ The association of accountants too does the same for accountants and we have seen these bodies hold their members to account, which brings credibility, recognition and dignity to the profession,” she said wondering who holds journalists accountable.

She further said the industry is scared to call each other out for unethical behaviour, “yet there is a proliferation of questionable media houses that don’t care about ethics.”