• ALERT Date: July 10, 2008 Persons/Institutions: Telecommunications (mobile phone users) Violation/issue: Legislation On July 9, 2008 the Botswana Telecommunications Authority announced that prepaid subscribers of mobile phone would be registered from September 15, 2008 to curb, among others, mobile phone crimes. MISA Botswana and other media and freedom of expression organisations expressed concern that this move would violate the privacy rights of citizens, especially after the passing of Botswana intelligence legislation. The Chief Executive of Botswana Telecommunications Authority (BTA), Thari Pheko, denied suspicions that the move could be related to the newly established Directorate of Intelligence and Security (DIS) but said the authority is merely following international trends. The registration process is expected to be completed by December 31, 2009 and those not registered by then will be disconnected. • COMMUNIQUÉ Date: July 18, 2008 Institutions: Media Violation/issue: Legislation/censorship On July 18, Gaborone North Member of Parliament (MP) Keletso Rakhudu said he intends to table a motion requesting government to pass a Freedom of Information Act during the forthcoming parliamentary session. Rakhudu said his recent experiences when he was an election observer in Zimbabwe, where the government banned the private and international press, would also assist his presentation. In an interview with Mmegi on July 17, 2008 Rakhudu said that it is difficult for MPs to get information from government because the state regards all information as classified. He cited an incident in his constituency when he was asking for the number of destitute persons so that he could donate some blankets to them. “The response I got from social workers was that they needed to get permission from their seniors before sharing [this information] with me,” he said. • ALERT Date: August 22, 2008 Persons/Institutions: Media Telecommunications (mobile phone users) Violation/issue: Legislation Botswana Minister of Communications, Science and Technology Pelonomi Venson-Moitoi on August 20 removed from discussion the Media Practitioners Bill and deferred it to the November 2008 parliamentary session. The deferment comes after Members of Parliament pressurised the minister to go back to the concerned stakeholders for further consultations. In her statement the minister emphasised that the Bill had the intention “to recognise the complexion of selfregulation and uphold the rights of all our people”. MISA Botswana objects to, among other aspects of the bill, the registration of media practitioners, the minister’s involvement in the appointment of a Press Council Committees and the prescriptive nature of the right to reply enforcement. The bill was gazetted on June 27, 2008. It came under attack from Members of Parliament, with MP for Mogoditshane, Patrick Masimolole, saying the Bill should be dropped as it gave too much power to the Minister of Communications, Science and Technology. Contributing on the same issue Letlhakeng East MP, Dr Gordon Mokgwathi, said the news media should be accorded the right to regulate itself through its code of ethics. Mokgwathi said the proposed bill gave the minister the right to appoint members of crucial committees, which contravenes the principle of self-regulation as desired in news media practice. The bill seeks to establish a press council for Botswana for the purpose of “preserving the maintenance of high professional standards within the industry as well as register journalists”. Only registered journalists would be allowed to work in Botswana. He said the fact that government would be financing the activities of the proposed press council through taxpayers’ money meant somebody So This Is Democracy? 2008 -27- Media Institute of Southern Africa