Photojournalists accuse police harassment

EPHRAIM KEORENG
Staff Writer | Tuesday November 23, 2010 00:00

Mmegi is informed that Sir Seretse Khama Airport Police station commander King Tshebo arrested two photojournalists and later released them after they promised to erase the photos they had taken of him.

Relating the story to Mmegi, Koone Boikaego, a photojournalist with Echo newspaper said they were busy shooting pictures of the beauty queen's arrival and 'then someone accidentally pushed him. He must have thought it was me because when he looked about and saw me, he pushed me hard. In the process, I asked a fellow photojournalist to shoot pictures of the police boss as he pushed me. The station commander was furious and ordered his juniors to arrest us and take us to the police charge office. At the office he told us we are not supposed to take pictures of him as this is in violation of his privacy rights, but he was on duty at the airport, a very public space', he said.

Boikaego said the police threatened to arrest them and 'because I didn't want to sleep in a cell, I apologized quickly and even agreed to delete the pictures of the senior police officer. Then they released us,' he said.

Meanwhile Innercity News photojournalist Thabo Buthelezi, who took the pictures when the station commander pushed Boikaego said the police boss told them 'his job whilst at the airport was to ensure there is law and order and that he has the right to privacy,' he said.

Speaking to Mmegi on Monday, Buthelezi said when he carried out Boikaego's request to take the pictures (of the station commander); he did not know he was inviting trouble.

'I didn't know I was doing anything unlawful. But the station commander was displeased. He said as journalists we should always obey them whenever they try to control us because as police operating at the airport they handle sensitive situations,' he said.  

When contacted for comment, station commander Tshebo said he did not remember exactly what happened on the day in question.

'I would not comment on your inquiry. I would have to look at my files first, but right now I am at Otse Police College, attending class,' he told Mmegi last week.

Echo managing editor Tomeletso Sereetsi said he was shocked to learn that his reporter had been arrested at the airport, only to be told on the same day, that he had been released. He said it is unfortunate 'we don't expect this kind of behaviour from such a high ranking police official. How does he tell his officers to relate with the media when he abuses journalists himself? We have had a lot of incidences where the police abuse journalists.

The police are not our enemies. They are our partners. We always get information and confirmation from them in crime related stories we write. I intend to approach him and talk to him about this,' he said.

On the other hand, MISA Botswana Information and research officer Mpho Motlhabane said the station commander's behaviour was disappointing. He said it should be noted that when on assignments, journalists are not there for their own benefit, but 'on behalf of the society and the benefit of the public, to inform them what happens out there. It is also disappointing that they succumbed to pressure from the police to erase the pictures,' he said.

Motlhabane said there is a worrisome trend where the police have taken to arresting photojournalists while on duty, adding that it happened in the kgosi Kgafela case where a freelance photojournalist was arrested whilst taking pictures.