BOFEPUSU urges journos to unionise
Bame Piet | Tuesday May 6, 2014 14:58
Speaking at the World Press Freedom celebrations in Lobatse on Saturday, Rari said BOFEPUSU is ready to offer its experience towards the establishment of a trade union.
“You are workers, you should form a trade union that will advocate for your working conditions. As BOFEPUSU we are ready to assist where you need our help,” he said.
Rari said BOFEPUSU leadership has visited some media houses and witnessed “first degree” poor working conditions that can only be addressed when there is a trade union.
However, he applauded journalists for disseminating information to BOFEPUSU’s 93,000 membership spread across the country, adding that they appreciate the relationship they have with the media, as it entails both negative and positive reportage.
Also speaking at the event was Chief Executive Officer for Botswana Meat Commission (BMC) Dr Akolang Tombale, who urged media practitioners to introspect and see if they are giving their customers good service.
He quoted a few headlines in local papers, which he was said had not provide good service to the public. He added that there were articles last year, and the year before, about BMC that were misleading and posed a threat to the commission’s market and farmers’ welfare.
He said that the local press has played a big role in the building of this country.
“With the government guaranteeing you the space to operate, it is your responsibility to ensure that you take advantage of this space. That is one reason why you must be trained to the utmost of your ability.
“Another is that we must practice responsible journalism in Botswana and observe the highest ethical standards – careless journalism can destroy a country.”
He urged journalists to double check their facts, before going to print, as failure to do so may be interpreted as abuse of freedom.
A civil servant for more than three decades, Tombale called on journalists to remember that they are Batswana first adding that “this is our country, all of us”.
“In the practice of journalism, our media must recognise that it is the country first and we must be patriotic.
This means standing up for and defending what is ours for the world is now connected with information.”
Tombale said that the importance of press freedom in promoting good governance is underlined by the increasing numbers of people who have access to an expanded realm of media platforms.
“Press freedom and good governance are not mutually exclusive. They support each other while promoting a country’s economic and human development”.
He acknowledged that transparency is critical in governance and of great relevance to development, adding that the role of news media in this is of paramount importance.
“A lack of transparency ultimately feeds corruption which is one of the hardest issues that countries have to face in the development process. Independent investigative journalism is an ally of open government and thereby enhances the effectiveness and the legitimacy, of development processes.”
Tombale stressed that a society that is guaranteed access to public documents and public decision-making processes is able to bring conflicts of interest to light and empower citizens with information about development processes.
Tombale urged government to expedite the drafting of the Freedom of Information Bill as per a promise made three years ago. He also called for a review of some libel laws saying they prohibit the press from scrutinising officials.
“Such restrictive laws artificially protect officials from being scrutinised by media or the public. They have a chilling effect on freedom of expression and are crippling to good governance in the long run. A thorough decriminalisation of defamation laws is necessary in any regulatory reform process that seeks to shape development through enabling critical debate,” the BMC CEO said.