We want our country

| Friday May 14, 2010 00:00

 

To refresh your minds Professor Sen cites  a study  of certain societies  where  free flow of information and freedom of the press  makes  them less prone to poverty, underdevelopment  and  civil strife. In times of famine   loss  of  human life   and  overall disaster were  minimal. According   to   Prof  Sen  it is only in  open, democratic  and liberal societies where this is possible. 

The  Nobel laureate  provides   a  contrast   with  closed societies where famine and  disaster  wreaked   havoc  and mayhem,  with  a terrible  human cost. 

In other  words,  open societies are  able  to  better   withstand  disaster  because they  are  under  constant  scrutiny  and  therefore  unable  to   conceal famine and other natural disasters. Cases cited by Prof Sen  includes  Botswana  and India which suffered  famine  in  the   late 80's.   On the other  hand,  in  repressive   societies, famine and hunger take root  because  no one holds the state to account one. The essay  cites  closed societies such  as  North Korea, Zimbabwe and Ethiopia.    But on this occasion what   does  Amartya Sen  say  to  us  on  issues   of   openness  and  free flow of information?

He says  societies  must  be open  and liberal in  order to  prosper.  For as long  as  some  societies  remain  closed   and repressive they  will never   prosper.  Amartya Sen also   says   democracy and   human rights  only thrive in  societies that  permit the free  flow  of information

The theme for  today's  World Press Freedom Day is   therefore  very apt.

We  gather today  when  Botswana  is  on the cusp  of change.  Every society  must undergo  political change at some point in its life.  Our country  is  no exception. Change will  manifest itself in 2014.  Indeed  developments  of the  past  few weeks   indicate that  there are  sections   of  our  society who are deeply  concerned about the direction the  country  is taking.  In fact many of  our citizens are convinced that since April 2008  our  country is   experiencing  a deficit  in  areas   fundamental to our identity as a nation.   Many  of  us  are asking;

-Where is democracy-Where is sanctity  for human life-Where is  the rule  of law-Where is  human rights-Where are civil liberties-Where  is ethics and good governance-Where is tolerance-Where is privacy   from  Big Brother?

All these questions are precipitated by  our leaders. To a large extent  these are  questions  we  never  had to contend  with  before April 1, 2008.

Any normal society would react  to  the questions raised.   In  the case of Botswana, we have  seen, for the first  time in 48 years, and  after three  presidents, a  historic split of the  ruling party. Out of concern for their  nation,  some patriots  have  chosen the  wilderness  of opposition politics  to save their  country from imminent doom. Some say  we are  nostalgic for  the   era of Quett Masire and Festus Mogae. We are  not ashamed to admit  so. Afterall  during  their tenure, we never raised  the questions  we   do today.

The agenda  of the April 2008  regime, and its assault on our fundamental values as a  nation forced our  hand. At  some point something had to give. Hence we  witness the  formation of  the Botswana Movement for Democracy.    This  has  not been an easy decision. Some of us   were children of the BDP. The   party   was our parent.  Estrangement from a  parent, short of parricide,  is  the  ultimate  tragedy. Notwithstanding  we took the view   that  in order to protect the rest  of the family, Botswana,   we  must  divorce the abusive parent who  has lost  sight of  family values.   We  could   have chosen the comfort   zone of   remaining in the  ruling  party to suffer in silence like  so many  of those  who remain  behind. As patriots we  chose  to  align ourselves with  the   vast  majority of Batswana who  say we can no longer  recognise our country;  who say we need to reclaim our country;  who say we want our country  back!

We are therefore  privileged  to  be  invited to  speak on this auspicious occasion.   Our  message  of solidarity  is that  all  civic  groups  and  political   parties need to mount a  united front  against the  assault  on  our  values, central   to which is democracy and a liberal, open society. We are  joyful to  be in the company  of  friends  who share with us  the deep concern  we  have  for the direction our country is taking.  The   statement  amplified by  so  many  patriotic  organisations here  today  gives us strength because it says  no one can defeat  the collective will of  a people  who treasure democracy and freedom.   No one can defeat Batswana. This is our country.  As the BMD slogan  goes, Ke  Botswana Wa Rona!

Our message  is  to call on  the trade unions, NGOs, opposition parties and all   Batswana  of a patriotic  persuasion  to  defend  our long standing national values.  Mindful of  the  efficacy of  information free flow  in  the promotion of democracy and freedom, as  taught  to us  by  Prof Amartya Sen, we the BMD  commit  ourselves  to  partner  MISA and   the media fraternity  in the  quest   for  a Freedom of Information Act.  Our MPs  will,   upon commencement  of the July  session of parliament  pursue this  matter  with renewed  vigour. We will   not rest  until a FOI Act  is  enacted. What is  our government  concealing from us  in its  entrenched  opposition to the Act? Let it  be  known that the  state does  not own the  information in its  possession.   It  holds  such information in trust  for the  people  of Botswana. Consistent  with  progressive democracies,   a legal protocol  must  be  put in place for   the citizenry  to access  such information for purposes of  promoting  trust, accountability and  transparency  in   our  society, as  envisaged by Vision 2016. Indeed BMD MPs will re-engage  with the Media  Practitioners  Act.  We  believe all laws  must enjoy  universal acceptance if they are to attain legitimacy. The Media Practitioners Act  does not. As BMD we will  seek to  repeal  the Media Practitioners Act  so that  all stakeholders  formulate  a law  that  does  not serve the interests  of  a few, but  of  our   entire society.

Let  me  say something about  public media. The wilderness of opposition politics  for  those of   us  who  have fled  the abusive parent has  been  brought  into  sharp relief  by the conduct of  state  media. Never in the existence of   our  public media  has  its  facilities and personnel  been abused  in the  manner we are  now witnessing.  The story of the BDP schism  and the circumstances informing this  historic  event must  be  conveyed  to the nation,  comprehensively  and without  bias. 

As  is  now  common  knowledge  there are two  belligerent factions at odds.  In that case  natural justice,  fairness, balance and transparency  dictate that  both sides should  be heard equally in order for the nation to reach  a correct  conclusion  with regard  to  who is right, and who is wrong.  The reprehensible practice  of giving coverage  to only one side leaves Batswana deeply suspicious  that  a more   plausible version of events  is  hidden from them.  We  must recognise that  a one sided slant  on news  and commentary   has the long term effect  of    eroding  the credibility of public  media outlets. The attitude, borne from desperation  that Batswana are simpletons   who will always  believe  the misinformation peddled   by those granted  daily coverage on the public airwaves,  purely  because they  hold the levers of power will  not stand the test of time.

It   need be noted that as the BMD we do  not seek favours from  public media  institutions.  We demand  fair and equitable  coverage. It is our constitutional right to   enjoy access to the airwaves.

Sadly the  conduct of  the public media  reinforces the groundswell  of opinion that  our government can longer  claim to  be an African exception, but has instead become part of the rogues gallery of intolerant and paranoid regimes where  freedom of information  and association is severely curtailed.  On account of the subversion of  public media, Botswana  joins the ranks  of 3rd world backwaters   where plurality  of  voices on public  media  is anathema unless  it is in praise of the ruling party. In fact this  ongoing subversion of public media disqualifies the BDP  government  from criticizing  ZANU PF and its abuse of  public media  in Zimbabwe.  On this score the  two parties  are  birds of a feather.

Let  us underline  that  our words are not  directed at  the professional  journalists in public media who operate  under difficult  circumstances.  Our  condemnation is aimed at  their political principals  without  whose intimidatory instructions  public  media  journalists   would  be  discharging  their  duties ethically  and in accordance with  accepted standards. Today as we  commemorate World Press Freedom Day, let us  all assure  public  media  journalists  that they  have our support and sympathy.  

*Botsalo Ntuane  spoke  in his capacity as chairperson of the Executive Committee(EXCO)  overseeing the  formation of the Botswana Movement for Democracy.