Media owes none an apology in P100bn hoax
Kabo Ramasia | Wednesday July 23, 2025 10:11
This article seeks to address this ongoing issue and offer a fair perspective on the need for Batswana to deeply understand the functions of journalism in any society.
From the onset, it is worth stating that democracies across the world rely on journalism to be perceived as either progressive or repressive.
That said, Botswana’s media has in nearly 60 years of independence thus served this maturing democracy well. With all its limitations, as they are, it was the media that told the story of Botswana’s success from independence until November 2024 when the world watched in anticipation as the historic change of government from the Botswana Democratic Party (BDP) to the Umbrella for Democratic Change under the stewardship of President Advocate Duma Gideon Boko.
To be fair to the media, despite its fair share of challenges ranging from media sustainability, which has resulted in declined revenues, low salaries, poor working conditions and an oversupply of the market compared to what newsrooms can absorb any fair minded person would rate the Botswana press above average.
Forget the typos that pass for edited stories and fragmented paragraphs in some instances or misplaced commas here and there; all that is bound to happen in any work that entails writing. Even in academic writing, play writing, fiction, and other forms of storytelling 'to err is human' as once said by the father of literature William Shakespeare.
Therefore, as noble as journalism is, it is a job that borders on the understanding that it is done by human beings after all. And in that thinking, one day, you may wake up to a lawsuit by a prominent figure purporting to have been defamed by a publication. All that comes with the territory and even as journalists navigate stories on a daily basis, most would be aware of the implications of their work should the story come out contrary to what they pitched to their editors.
For this reason, traditionally, editors served as gatekeepers, ensuring that whatever was passed as a news story was thoroughly scrutinised. Editors were seen as experienced individuals who had what it takes to preside over news production. Similarly, as defined by the Agenda Setting Theory in Mass Communication, journalism is about setting the agenda in any case.
Agenda setting dictates that the media influences what the society thinks of what not to hold in high regard. Therefore, all news outlets are driven by what matters at the moment to drive the direction of news. Further, by appreciating news values, we get to realise that prominence, relevance, and timeliness are some of the factors that influence news making. News is what is new and relevant at any time it is published or broadcast in any form or shape.
Now, turning the spotlight to the multi-billion pula saga wherein it was alleged that certain prominent individuals, including a Directorate on Intelligence and Security (DIS), agent named Welhemina Maswabi codenamed 'Butterfly' were implicated in an alleged scheme resulting in the embezzlement of the P100 billion belonging to the Bank of Botswana (BoB).
It was alleged that in dealing with the shinplasters offshore, other individuals like the South African Bridget Motsepe were involved. As the script unfolded, it was the previous President Mokgweetsi Masisi administration that presided over the whole conspiracy. At the heart of it was the DIS, which was on a collision cause with the Directorate on Corruption and Economic Crime(DCEC) over the direction of the case. It became evident that the DIS had an upper hand in influencing the hoax and how everyone who seemed to differ with it was either axed or silenced.
Former DCEC Director General, Brigadier Joseph Mathambo, was a victim. He stood his ground and was shown the door. Others who subsequently succeeded him at the DCEC suffered similar fate when they dismissed the 'Butterfly ' case evidence. Having been at the centre of this story and many controversial others as a young journalist, there is more about this moment in history that can be written about. We owe the nation a book!
The Butterfly fabrication first broke in 2019 on the eve of elections. It was registered with the courts, and that is how the media got to know of it. To the defence of journalism, against baseless accusations that it ought to have investigated the story further and that it was used as part of a political manoeuvre to persecute some individuals, it would be unfair if this misguided notion persisted. At no point did the media break the story as an investigation and purported to claim the bragging rights as its after seemingly having exposed the supposed rot at the BoB as it was alleged. The bragging rights belong to Peter Magosi and Masisi, if any.
Lo and behold! The fabrication belongs to the Masisi regime, and only him and the DIS can explain it. The media simply played its role in informing the society of what was happening. This goes without saying for any news outlet that prominence is news and no publication would ignore that a spy, a former spy boss and a former President are being allegedly implicated in a saga of that magnitude.
As a matter of fact, the story was thoroughly covered and enjoyed analysis from different sections of society including political analysts, opposition, civil society and academia, the honours purely lied with the state to prove its case in court. However, the state held on even despite insufficient evidence as it would later emerge when charges against accused were withdrawn. The media was still pursuing it as an issue of national interest, and rightfully so as it was in the public domain and / or before the courts. Matters before courts are not for journalists to determine, but each case stands and falls on its merits and demerits as determined by magistrates and Judges or in short judicial officers.
For journalists to apologise for reporting on the saga, it would mean they should apologise for reflecting on anything in society as their work just mirrors society. Further, it would make sense if they were the ones responsible for the misleading fabrication, which left more harm than good. Apologies in journalism work when the story they reported fell short and, in the process, omitted facts, hence misleading.
In the face of information disorders where journalism grapples with fake news and credibility issues as a result of diminished gate keeping and gradually dying culture of verification and fact checking news before publication, as it seems, sweeping statements that the media is complicit to this hoax as pushed by some in society is not only dangerous but sets bad precedence for society to attack and reduce the role of media in society to nothingness.
Whether we like it or not, journalism will never be perfect on any given day. But in its imperfections, it serves society. Unlike public relations, it exists not to be liked. As it is distinct in that it ruffles feathers whilst PR is about image and spinning narratives to favour entities or individuals.
Over the years, journalism has proved to be critical in holding power to account and ensuring that the citizenry stays informed and engaged in the process. The notion that Botswana’s media is insignificant and a good for nothing lot is a misleading notion by a society deliberately choosing to be selective in its criticism.
The P100 billion hoax is a political fabrication, and those who instigated it would be happy to note that attention has shifted from them. Even so, we must be alive to the reality that politicians will always be politicians, and whatever they say or do will be captured by the press.
Thus, it is for both journalism and society to question events as they unfold with the understanding that the implications affect the entire nation.
For instance, with the P100 billion hoax, Botswana faces serious risks of being dubbed a money launders paradise and would have to do more for it to be cleared in the upcoming FATF assessments. The case could have dire implications for the nation's financial system, especially on the backdrop of its 2017 grey listing. This equally diminished investor confidence and could scare off potential future investors if the new government does not hasten to entirely remove the case from the courts. The Motsepe settlement order calling for the government to issue an apology via local and international media is enough reputational damage already.
Should there be similar events in the future, the media will still be rightfully placed to capture the narrative as it proceeds. Journalism can only be deemed to be at fault if it got the facts wrong, failed to balance stories, peddled hate speech, incited the nation, and gravely misled, causing chaos. Otherwise, it remains a tried and tested means of information sharing since the stone age to the Artificial Intelligence era.
Other challenges raised like brown envelope, media capture and how propaganda seems to take centre stage as peddled by news sources remain universal challenges for the fraternity and in the wake of its evolution would have to be tackled henceforth. Nevertheless, this can never be a basis to dismiss journalistic work as unworthy in society. Until such a time when society can exist without media, news will always dominate societal discourse as it sets the agenda.
With that said, journalism owes not anyone an apology for the ‘Butterfly’ fabrication. If anything, it expended its resources on a wild goose chase which proved to be a political gimmick as with story of former US President George W Bush whose administration invaded Iraq under the guise that there were weapons of mass destruction only to realise that there had been Intelligence failure.
Even then, the New York Times would issue an apology for its publications, stating that it was misled by its sources as the story developed. Only if the fabrication was a media creation then would there be any basis for a retraction and fully fledged apology.
*Kabo Ramasia is Media Institute of Southern Africa (MISA)- Botswana national governing council board member. He writes in his personal capacity.