Btv barred from covering BNFYL elections

EPHRAIM KEORENG
Staff Writer | Wednesday May 19, 2010 00:00

 

When the Btv crew arrived at the venue of the elections on Sunday morning, they were met by angry BNFYL members who blocked the hall entrance, barring the crew from entering and covering the event.

Though BNF spokesman Moeti Mohwasa tried to talk the young cadres into allowing the crew inside, the youths would not budge and insisted that the Btv crew leave the premises immediately.

Other youth were even overheard saying that Btv should go and cover the ruling Botswana Democratic Party (BDP) as they always prefer to cover it (BDP) ignoring the opposition. Approached for comment, BNFYL secretary Arafat Khan said the youth were irate after the Btv did not arrive earlier to cover the congress, which started in Saturday.  'On Friday they indicated that they would send a crew on Saturday and they did not turn up on that day. We had a variety of speakers at the congress like president Otsweletse Moupo, Young Communist League leader from South Africa, Mike Mokhutshwane and many more who gave important speeches to a fully packed hall. But Btv did not cover it and they came the next day when people had gone whilst we were just counting the ballots. The BNFYL felt that the broadcaster wanted to film empty chairs and perpetuate the misconception that BNF does not have a lot of people, which is not true,' said Khan. He said that they have realised that unlike the private media, the state broadcaster does not have respect for opposition parties and treats them (opposition parties) with disdain.

'That is why some BNFYL members also told them to go and cover the BMD (Botswana Movement for Democracy) if they are indeed serious about covering the opposition,' he said.

Responding to the accusation leveled against the broadcaster, director of broadcasting services Mogomotsi Kaboeamodimo said it was regrettable that members of the BNF Youth League threatened and prevented the Btv crew that was on site in Kanye on Sunday from covering the league meeting 'as had been arranged through the then Youth League leader, Arafat Khan. It is sad that the very people who you say had important messages to give out are the ones who prevented the reporting of the messages by becoming violent towards our news crew without regard to the circumstances that were at play,' he said.

Kaboeamodimo said that Btv made all possible effort to cover the meeting despite being invited to the event at short notice, late Friday afternoon when assignments for the weekend had been finalised.

 'Our newsroom was in contact with Khan who understood that Btv would do what it could under the circumstances to cover the event.  It proved unmanageable on Saturday to go to Kanye and instead we were able to cover the event only on Sunday, all the time in consultation with Arafat Khan.  However as you are aware since you were present in Kanye the Btv crew was almost assaulted by a mob of the BNF Youth League who accused us of sabotage and deliberate neglect and who ignored attempts by the BNF publicity secretary, Mohwasa to facilitate coverage by Btv,' he said.

Kaboeamodimo reiterated that the broadcaster has several times shown that it does not discriminate against or favour any political party as far as Btv news coverage is concerned.

'We have also explained before that any organisation, including political parties, that initiates request for news coverage from Btv, has to give us adequate notice of their programme so that we can evaluate it along with other potential news material. Receiving a request and acknowledging receipt is not an automatic guarantee for coverage. There are several considerations to be made and this includes newsworthiness, available resources and time,' he said. 

He said that it should also be noted that Btv reserves editorial discretion as to what gets on air, when, how and for how long. Their decisions are not based on bias, favour or sabotage, 'but everything to do with due care and attention, verification and confirmation, correct facts and decency among others,' said Kaboeamodimo.