Richardson still commands respect
Lebogang Mosikare | Tuesday July 25, 2017 16:00
In Botswana, like the rest of the world, the death of a prominent member of society brings a lot of sorrow to his family and those he leaves behind including those he did not know, but who just came to know him by his good work.
Last week Thursday, although Richardson is still alive, it was clear that just like the dead who are revered for their good actions after their death, Richardson’s former listeners still symphathise with him following his ‘axing’ by Gabz FM.
Members of different political formations in Botswana, especially from opposition political parties came to hear why Gabz FM fired the former award winning media personality before the end of his five-year contract. Members of the community who stood in small groups during the case breaks just an earshot from journalists could be overheard extolling Richardson for the good work he did during his days at Gabz FM. Reggie, as Richardson’s hordes of followers call him, was described as someone who revolutionised radio and who asked probing questions that rubbed the powers-that-be the wrong way.
To put it simply, they said radio has lost one of its best sons and will never be the same without Richardson. With the advent of social media it was easy to know why Richardson’s supporters came to court to hear if procedure was followed or not prior to Richardson being given his marching orders by Gabz FM.
As the case was nearing its end, Richardson was asked by Justice Galesite Baruti to explain why he said his prospects of finding a job in another radio station in Botswana are almost bleak or next to nil. Did powerful forces connected to the BDP connive to have Richardson removed from Gabz FM?
That was the question Justice Baruti reiterated and wanted Richardson to put into proper perspective so that he (Baruti) can understand why Richardson said his future job prospects locally are bleak. In Botswana, it is a well-known fact that most media houses depend on government advertising for surviva, but the government has since taken a position to reduce advertising in media houses it deems critical of it. In synopsis, that was the picture Richardson tried very hard to convince the judge to understand.
To buttress his point, Richardson said other local radio stations fear being deprived of advertising revenue by the government should they hire him. For close to 20 minutes, Richardson had to convince the judge that local radio stations that may decide to hire him in future might receive backlash from the state should they employ him.
He added that in the past, some politicians connected to the ruling BDP tried to have him relieved of his job because they felt that he was exposing government shortcomings with his ‘Breakfast with Reg Show’. Richardson stated that his superiors told his adversaries that he could only be fired if he had breached his journalistic code of conduct and other related statutes.
Narrating his animosity with some powerfully connected people, Richardson said he might have stepped on their toes before the 2014 general elections when Gabz FM conducted parliamentary debates across the country that the BDP boycotted.
By then, Richardson said influential politicians-that he never named in court-were of the view that he was on a smear campaign to advance the political agenda of some political parties over another hence their animosity towards him.
Richardson-who is demanding P555,000 for alleged breach of employment contract-will know his fate on October 6.