Media uneasy over sim-card registration

The announcement was made by Botswana Telecommunications Authority (BTA) Chief Executive Officer, Thari Pheko, at a press conference on Wednesday morning. He said the registration is meant to make it easy to track owners of sim-cards whenever the need arises.

A journalist at the press conference asked whether the registration was not part of plans by state security agents to keep tabs on people. He said that given the context of the announcement, the initiative may be abused by elements in the security intelligence community. However Pheko replied that the initiative is normal and is line with international practice. He asserted that the BTA is not beholden to any institution.