OWN CORRESPONDENT, Gaborone | Wednesday
THE head of Botswana television news and current affairs Chris Bishop has resigned over government attempts to control broadcasts, Bishop told the South African news agency Sapa.
“The journalists at BTV and myself have often been harassed by officialdom. It has rendered the running of TV news impractical,” Bishop said, following the announcement of his resignation on Monday.
Bishop said his move was triggered by the government’s refusal to allow him to air a documentary on the Mariette Bosch murder case and her subsequent execution.
Botswana hanged South African murderess Mariette Bosch – without warning her family – on April 2 after an appeal court rejected her claim that she was innocent of murdering her best friend to marry her husband.
“Bosch brought out what had been there all along,” Bishop said. “There has been previous harassment and interference.”
BTV director of Information and Broadcasting, Andrew Sesinyi, has reportedly denied any knowledge of moves to control news at the station.
Bishop said he had heard that the Office of the President would send a (government) official to control the news department if the management of BTV could not control it.
“It would have amounted to censorship,” Bishop observed.
The Office of the President would not allow the Bosch documentary to be broadcast on the grounds it could have led to litigation against the government.
Bosch’s husband and her children only found out she had been hanged the morning after her execution. “The callous and indecent haste of this execution requires investigation,” her lawyers said.
A month after Bosch’s execution, a row continues in the independent media over how she died and the death penalty in Botswana.
Opinion seems to be swinging towards the abolitionists. Botswana’s independent media, six weekly newspapers and two radio stations, enjoys press freedom.
Articles and editorials regularly criticise the president and his government and while the government often replies in letters to the editors, no official action has ever been taken against them.
BTV and the ‘Daily News’ freesheet are under the wing of the government and controlled by the director of Information and Broadcasting. – AFP
ZA*NOW:
Reaction to Bosch hanging exposes double standards April 11, 2001
Bosch hanged in secret April 3, 2001
Botswana hangs Bosch April 2, 2001
‘Bosch hanged on Saturday’ April 2, 2001
Pityana asks Mbeki to bail out Bosch February 11, 2001
Bosch’s husband vows to find real killer February 5, 2001
SA wont meddle with Bosch verdict February 2, 2001
Only clemency can save wicked woman January 31, 2001
Court says Bosch must hang January 30, 2001
SA woman makes last bid for life January 19, 2001
SA womans battle from death row January 17, 2001
Love crime accused fights for her life January 4, 2001