Media key to Botswana’s national security strategy- Suping
Pini Bothoko | Tuesday December 23, 2025 11:09
Addressing editors during the meeting, NSSD technical committee member Kekgaoditse Suping said the development of the NSS marks a shift from past approaches that viewed national security as the sole responsibility of state security agencies. He said the strategy now seeks to bring together all sectors of the state, the economy and society, recognising that security challenges are no longer limited to military threats.
“We are developing a national security strategy, and there is a realisation that, contrary to what has happened in the past, there is a need to bring all sectors of the State, the economy and society,” said Suping.
He stressed that the media has been identified as a major stakeholder, both at the developmental and implementation stages of the strategy. “There is no way you can leave the media out,” he said.
Suping explained that the presentation to editors covered the aim and concept of a national security strategy, Botswana’s security architecture, the country’s approach to national security, and the role envisaged for the media. He said the engagement was intended to build a shared understanding of what national security means in the context of Botswana.
He noted that traditionally, national security was understood as the protection of the State from external threats, with emphasis on military power, defence capabilities and territorial integrity. This state-centric approach largely confined national security to institutions such as the military, police, intelligence services and border management authorities.
However, Suping said global and local realities have necessitated a broader definition. He pointed to internal and non-military threats such as poverty, inequality, civil unrest, disease and environmental challenges, which can equally threaten a nation’s survival. He cited Botswana’s past experiences with severe droughts, food insecurity and the HIV/AIDS epidemic as examples of existential threats that were not military in nature.
As a result, national security is now increasingly defined as a nation’s ability to survive, function, adapt and prosper in a complex and uncertain global environment. This shift, he said, informed the decision to include non-state actors, including the media and civil society, in the development of the NSS.
He outlined seven pillars of human security being economic, food, health, environmental, personal, community and political security. He said issues such as unemployment, economic instability, food and nutrition, pandemics, human-wildlife conflict, social cohesion and civil liberties all have direct implications for national security.
He further explained that national security strategies are guided by national interest, defined as a set of political, economic, social and security objectives that a state considers critical to its survival and well-being. He said Botswana’s strategy cannot be copied from other countries because national interests, values and identities differ.
Suping also acknowledged weaknesses in Botswana’s existing national security framework, particularly the National Security Act, which he described as broad and ambiguous. He said the Act has often been invoked based on perception, making it susceptible to abuse, and may no longer be adequate in addressing contemporary security challenges.
Responding on behalf of the media, Editors’ Forum chairperson, Lawrence Seretse, said journalists play a crucial role as public educators, helping citizens understand everyday risks such as cybercrime, food prices, water security and crime. He said the media’s responsibility is to bridge the information gap between the government and the public.
Seretse stressed the media’s accountability role, including testing claims, questioning assumptions and seeking timelines for policy delivery. He called for the formal inclusion of the media in the NSS process, noting that journalists have lived experience of how security laws affect press freedom, access to information and freedom of expression.
He said greater engagement, including stakeholder roundtables on issues such as human security, cyber security and civil liberties, would strengthen the strategy and safeguard democratic institutions.