State media blacks-out Barata-Phathi, covers A-team

LEKOPANYE MOOKETSI
Correspondent | Tuesday March 23, 2010 00:00

By yesterday, the two Radio Botswana stations; Botswana Television (Btv) and the Daily News have not reported on the historic meeting the faction held on Saturday and its aftermath.

However last night in the 9pm news BTV read the statement released by the BDP central committee in the aftermath of the weekend gathering by Barata Phathi.

At the meeting a decision was reached to break away from the ruling party. But there has been no mention about the outcome of the Saturday meeting in state media. This is despite the fact that on Friday, Btv aired a stern warning from the BDP top brass to members not to attend the meeting. However, the Barata-Phathi loyalists and MPs ignored the warning and appeared at the meeting in high numbers. 

Journalists from the government electronic media did not attend the meeting though the Daily News sent a reporter and a photographer. By yesterday, the paper had not carried the story about the meeting and its aftermath.

The government media has always been accused of pandering to the whims of the ruling party.  The government media does not carry negative news about the BDP.  However, this does not apply to the opposition parties.

In the past, both Radio Botswana and Btv have reported the instabilities in opposition parties in graphic detail. In 2008 when a fight broke out at a Botswana National Front (BNF) conference in Jwaneng, Btv captured the drama.  The government media reported about an altercation that involved BNF members who had attended another conference in Selebi-Phikwe.However, the government media rarely cover the intensive BDP infighting even though the party has been under internal strife since last year.

Opposition parties have often complained about the government media's apparent bias towards the BDP. Recently Daily News reporters were ordered by their bosses not to give coverage to the president of the Botswana Congress Party (BCP), Gil Saleshando and the publicity secretary Dumelang Saleshando.  Both BCP officials are legislators.After last year's general elections, the government media was transferred to the Office of the President (OP).  Critics said this was a strategic move to tighten the grip of the government on state media.

The move came after the Director of Broadcasting Services, Mogomotsi Kaboeamodimo raised eyebrows when he appeared on Btv to read a BDP statement prepared by President Ian Khama.

Critics felt that as a civil servant Kaboeamodimo had no business reading a statement addressing a party matter.  In his statement, Khama was justifying why he decided to Suspend Gomolemo Motswaledi who was elected the secretary general of BDP at the Kanye congress. When he was asked about the Saturday meeting, Kaboeamodimo promised to call back but never did.