UDC’s position on media
Friday, December 12, 2025 | 90 Views |
UDC's ministers and senior officials have been more accessible to the media PIC MORERI SEJAKGOMO
Whilst it is not UDC's policy to respond to every claim or allegation made against the party, on this matter, it is appropriate to put the record straight. More so, because the claims in our view misrepresented what the President said and expected of the media.
The UDC in the past and present manifestos has a clear position that the media is a critical part of development and democracy. The media must be free and independent. The UDC has advocated for the Freedom of Information Act and has since coming to power. In 2024, I made sure that the President meets and briefs the media on key issues of national interest regularly. Press conferences on diamond sales, negotiations, Botswana Economic Transformation Programme (BETP), and others are the case in point.
For years, we have rightly celebrated our world-class HIV response. The PMTCT programme has been its crown jewel, ensuring HIV-positive mothers could safely nurture their newborns without fear of transmission. Now, a leaked memo exposes a terrifying reality that the lifeline has been frayed to breaking point. A key warehouse in Francistown stands empty, and access is being rationed. Official reassurances about expected consignments ring hollow to...