Regional Partnerships MISA, the Southern African Broadcasting Association (SABA) and the Friedrich Ebert Stiftung (FES) Southern Africa Media Project continued their regional partnership. The trio have been hosting joint annual workshops since 2002 as part of a regional collaboration on broadcasting reform focusing on issues such as broadcasting legislation, regulation, convergence, regional and continental benchmarks, and public service broadcasting. In the 2006 workshop, which was held in Mozambique, the partners resolved to increase the emphasis on implementation and a task group on Broadcasting Reform was formed. This is a technical committee that will initiate, co-ordinate and support campaigns towards broadcasting reform. The MISA-SABA-FES workshops have expanded to include other partners such as the Southern African Development Community (SADC) Parliamentary Forum and the African Commission on Human and People’s Rights (ACHPR). Broadcast Updates The Regional Secretariat continued to issue monthly updates on the broadcasting and ICT sector in the region. Twelve updates were issued in the year under review. For the first time the updates also included alerts issued by MISA on media freedom violations concerning the broadcasting sector. NATIONAL ACTIVITIES Botswana MISA Botswana in conjunction with FES held an interactive meeting for Members of Parliament in Gaborone in November 2006. The meeting discussed broadcasting issues, including community radio and the Broadcasting Policy. The MPs heard testimonies on the benefits of community radio from Brian Lingela of MISA Zambia as well as Lumko Mtimde of the Media Development and Diversity Agency. A workshop was also held in the town of Selebi Phikwe in March as part of efforts to sensitise the public about the three-tier system of broadcasting (community, private and public). Participants were clear in their opposition to community radio, stating that Botswana was not ready for it. MISA Botswana connected this hard-line stance to the alarmist discussion about community broadcasting in Parliament during the draft Broadcasting Policy debate. In April 2006 MISA Botswana, in collaboration with the United States Embassy, hosted a workshop for local film producers. The aim of the workshop was to interact with the producers and get an understanding of the problems they are facing. During the workshop the Community Broadcasting Association was formed. In June 2006, there was a follow-up workshop where producers shared their grievances about the industry and discussed the Cinematograph Act. The act was found to be oppressive and hindering freedom of expression. The meeting agreed that MISA and the producers should identify a consultant to review the act. MISA Botswana continued to be concerned by the delay on the passing of a national Broadcasting Policy by the government. Although an effort was made in October 2006, by bringing to Parliament a watered-down draft from the original plan, the draft policy was withdrawn from debate by the minister responsible. This was due to an outcry from MPs regarding the provisions for both public service and community broadcasting. MPs revealed during the debates that they feared community broadcasting would divide the nation along tribal lines. MISA Botswana is, therefore, obliged to mount more vigorous public awareness campaigns on the benefits of community radio. Annual Report 2007 31