To many of us in Zimbabwe, Botswana is a hub of plenty and Zimbabwe, a desolate place of desperation. Botswana is a democracy and Zimbabwe a dictatorship. All these contrasting images have thus driven millions of my country people, including myself from time to time, to see what life is like in Botswana, buy toothpaste, soap and sugar.
Moreso, Botswana's stance on the Zimbabwe situation has given us hope and at the same time a major shift on the political map in Southern Africa, that one member state can stand up in defence of the harassed and oppressed. This shift is seismic if we are to look back at where we have come from and the fact that a few years ago it was unheard of and a taboo for an African government to criticise another. Botswana's stance, and indeed that of many other African governments, Zambia, Liberia and Kenya, marks a first for Africa in creating a stable and prosperous continent built on respect for democratic values. It is in the same spirit that I delve into the current legislative debates in Botswana, more importantly, the newly gazetted Media Practitioners Bill.
