We are left wondering how the NBB came to this conclusion. It is important for us to remind the nation of events leading up to this regrettable but somehow unavoidable position taken by the NBB. What transpired is that the NBB had made a determination to the effect that the government broadcasters Botswana Television (Btv) and Radio Botswana (RB) had broken the Code by giving President Ian Khama time to address the nation on the Gomolemo Motswaledi fiasco last month.
The Code, fashioned to help all political parties get equitable coverage during elections by the powerful broadcast media, was developed with the input and even the agreement of the Ministry of Communication, Science and Technology. The Department of Broadcasting Services (DBS) is also a signatory to the Code. The NBB says it had assumed that the Code was enforceable and was binding on broadcasters, and as they had never received any reaction to the contrary from the Ministry since its inception the NBB was right to assume that the Ministry was taking the Code's standing in good faith.
