As we reported, trouble started when the Councillor for Botshabelo North, Bathaedi Mponwane (BMD), demanded that journalists be chucked out because councillors were about to discuss 'confidential' matters. Mponwane was seconded by the Councillor for Phase Two, Lekang Mukokomani (BCP), who said councillors did not want other people to hear what they may have to say in discussing a code of conduct for the councillors. "We do not want to hang our dirty linen in public, hence we call for the meeting to be moved to committee stages," Mukokomani said. Things continued in this ludicrous manner until the Councillor for Sesame, Tebogo Matlhogonolo (BDP), saved the situation by pointing out that there was no need for the meeting to be moved to committee stages because the leadership of the council had arranged things to be the way they were and that any change would be a waste of time. The apex came when the Mayor, Godfrey Mbaiwa, put the matter to a vote.
The opposition councillors lost and journalists regained the freedom - and their right - to cover the meeting. We must note that this behaviour was not expected, especially from the opposition. This is because across Botswana, the opposition has been at the forefront of efforts to have a Freedom of Information (FOI) law enacted. Selebi-Phikwe, which has teetered on the brink of becoming a ghost town after end of mine, can hardly afford to have clowns for civic leaders. What dirty linen was on the minds of BCP and BMD councillors that they should not want to be seen or heard launder it? That most councillors in Botswana are heavily indebted is such common knowledge that it cannot be an excuse to keep the media out of their chambers. After all, we journalists are not the reason why our politicians are sinking in debt. As they well know, their penchant to distribute largesse instead of debating issues is partly to blame for their sorrowful financial problems. Mercifully, not all our politicians are like those comedians of the opposition in the small copper mining town. For instance, we reported in March that Francistown councillors wanted government to move swiftly to pass the FOI Bill. This was after a consultative workshop conducted by the Media Institute of Southern Africa (MISA) whose purpose was to brief the council about the bill that had been sponsored by the MP for Gaborone Central, Dumelang Saleshando, last December. The Councillor for Satellite South, Buti Billy (BDP), said an FOI law would improve the standard of journalism in the country. A concerned Billy noted that journalists often had to run the gauntlet of bureaucracy to access information. "At times their reports look less credible to readers because they are not fed with information," Billy said. But it is not too late for Mponwane, Mukokomani et al to rehabilitate. A measure of admonishment from the BMD and the BCP would help their redemption.
