Omphemetse Motumise asked Nthebolan to disclose the source of close to 3900 Euros deposited into her account in 2008. Nthebolan said she got the money from a friend. Journalist wins long running defamation case In a victory for media freedom, on 3 April 2014 Metlhaetsile Leepile, a Media veteran and pioneer of MISA and Southern Africa Media Development Fund (SAMDEF) won a long running defamation case against a Francistown High court Judge Justice Mpaphi Phumaphi. The Case reached the courts thirteen years ago after Justice Phumaphi felt aggrieved by a document written by Leepile contributing to a Constitutional amendment public debate in progress at the time. Justice Phumaphi felt the document could tarnish his image and cost him other opportunities. At the time he was awaiting presidential appointment to the legal bench. The court was to determine whether or not the document was defamatory of Justice Phumaphi and whether or not Mr Leepile published the document or caused it to be published. The media industry hailed the court’s progressive decision to dismiss the application and hope it will pave way to platforms of dialogue in legislative reforms aimed at achieving an environment more conducive to media freedom. Botswana’s media controlled by two opposing media regulations The media finds its self under the control of two opposing media regulations. The autonomous Press Council of Botswana has the backing of the private media whilst the media statutory regulation un- der the media Practitioners Act has the blessing of government. Government undermines the Press Council of Botswana by saying it is a voluntary organisation whose decisions are not binding and not supported by any law. On the other hand, the private media has rejected the Media practitioner Act as it sees it as a government tool to control the media industry. There are indications government, through the ruling BDP, wants to review some sections of the Media Practitioners’ Act to allow the law to be implemented in a manner that will give them power to humiliate the private media. The implementation of the Media Practitioner’s Act was partly delayed because the Law society of Botswana refused to recommend a lawyer to chair the Appeals committee of the media council within the Media Practitioner’s Act. There is a strong belief BDP is targeting this section for review so the appeals committee can be headed by someone they recommend. This belief was re-affirmed when BDP secretary Mpho Balopi told ENCA news the media in Botswana is unregulated. JOURNALIST SAFETY Unfortunately, 2014 saw several cases of violence against journalists. In one example, on 5 August, The Voice newspaper journalist Chenjelani Baraedi was attacked by a prison officer for photographing a man accused of raping two women in Francistown. The incident took place outside the Francistown Magistrate Court. Baraedi said while he was on duty trying to take pictures, the prison officer charged and pushed him before threatening to confiscate his camera, preventing him from the taking photographs. He reported the matter to So This is Democracy? 2014 27