BOSETU threatens to sue Btv

CHANDAPIWA BAPUTAKI
Staff Writer | Wednesday October 6, 2010 00:00

Teachers have been at loggerheads with the Botswana Examinations Council (BEC) over the invigilation rates and the negotiation talks have since been abandoned by the parties. Education Minister Pelonomi Venson-Moitoi has been interviewed on the national broadcaster giving her side of the story and assuring the public that the situation is being contained.

However, the teachers on the other side feel that the public is being misled and want to be given a chance to give their side of the story on the national broadcaster. 'The minister clearly does not care about the education system. The effects of using people from outside to invigilate and mark would not be felt now but later on just like it happened with the double shift system. All is not well as she is stating. She does not care because her children are not schooled in public schools,' BOSETU Executive Secretary Justin Hunyepa said.

In a letter dated October 1, 2010 addressed to the Director of Broadcasting Services Mogomotsi Kaboeamodimo, Hunyepa stated that the Minister of Education and Skills Development and Director of Public of Service Management made remarks on Botswana Television (Btv) and Radio Botswana (RB) on the evenings of September 15, 2010 and September 24, 2010 respectively.  He said a Btv journalist interviewed and photographed BOSETU Publicity Secretary Mogomotsi Motshegwa on the afternoon of September 15, 2010 'but the station failed to air our side of the story'.  He further revealed that on the morning of October 1, immediately after the 7am news bulletin, Radio Botswana broadcast the Minister of Education and Skills Development speech on the boycott of BEC examinations. 'Btv and Radio Botswana opted to run the minister's and director's one-sided stories on the ongoing boycott of BEC examinations. Btv and Radio Botswana knew that they would air the stories on the above dates. As a result of such an act by the station and therefore demand to also be given the opportunity, similar to that of the minister and DPSM director to share with listeners and viewers our side of the story. We hope the state media will adhere to these basic journalism principles,' Hunyepa said advising the director to comply within two days of receipt of the letter.

'Should your department fail to give us the right to reply as requested, we will have no option but to consider other options, including approaching the courts of law for redress,' Hunyepa stated.

However, Kaboeamodimo, who had been out of the country, yesterday said that he was still to see the letter but was not aware if there had been such an issue because the unions had not communicated