SECTOR 1 “They [laws] have been there for a long time and much of the previous leadership did not care about these laws. Now that we have a different regime, they [laws] are being used and they are starting to cause fear. To work on them you have to repeal them or challenge them.” Although the requirements contained in the Media Practitioners Act of 2008 have not been acted upon, the Act establishes a Media Council whose role, amongst many other things, is: (i) to register and accredit resident media practitioners; (j) to issue accredited resident media practitioners with identity cards; (k) to maintain a media register. Section 6 provides that a resident media practitioner shall not report or cover any event or occurrence in Botswana unless he or she is registered and accredited by the Executive Committee of the Media Council established under the MPA. Failure to register as a media practitioner is an offence punishable by a fine, imprisonment or both, in terms of section 7(5) of the MPA. The MPA was fiercely contested by the Media Institute of Southern Africa, and the the Law Society refuses to appoint a representative to sit on the Media Council, which is one of the reasons it has not been set up. Scores: Individual scores: 1 Country does not meet indicator 2 Country meets only a few aspects of indicator 3 Country meets some aspects of indicator 4 Country meets most aspects of indicator 5 Country meets all aspects of the indicator Average score: 16 AFRICAN MEDIA BAROMETER Botswana 2014 1.6 (2005 = n/a; 2007 = n/a; 2009 = n/a; 2011 = n/a)