Boko’s unfinished media battle

In fact, the tension appears to have become a recurring feature of the country’s political discourse. Rarely does time pass without the President, who also leads the Umbrella for Democratic Change (UDC) and the Botswana National Front (BNF), using public platforms to criticise the country’s media.

His remarks often ignite debate about the role of journalism in a democracy and the boundaries between political leadership and media accountability. With only two months left before the global celebration of World Press Freedom Day on May 3, questions are beginning to surface about the state of press freedom in the country. Observers are increasingly asking whether the country’s media environment remains as open as it once was, and whether the rift between the President and the press will ever be repaired.