Tshireletso Motlogelwa
3 July 2008
A piece of legislation to address issues relating to media practice and the media industry in Botswana is to come before Parliament soon.
The Minister of Communications, Science and Technology, Pelonomi Venson-Moitoi, recently published the Media Practitioners Bill in the Government Gazette.
The Bill, which has been on the drawingboard for a number of years, seeks to establish a Press Council whose members will be media practitioners, media institutions and other individuals and bodies engaged in the media industry.
The council, according to the Bill, will "monitor the activities of the media and ensure the maintenance of high professional standards and to provide for the registration and accreditation of resident media practitioners". Media practitioners will be required to get accreditation from the body before they can work in Botswana. Furthermore, the governing body, or executive committee of the Press Council, will be appointed by the council from among council members.
The council will issue a Code of Ethics to be followed by media practitioners. This code will cover issues of duties and obligations of media practitioners. The Bill also provides for the establishment of a Complaints Committee to which any aggrieved parties would seek redress.
The minister of Communication Science and Technology will appoint the Complaints Committee members. Furthermore, the minister will also appoint an Appeals Committee to which anyone not satisfied with the work of the Complaints Committee can appeal.
It is envisaged that the council will also attend to issues relating to the media industry, including competition and professional standards.
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