08 Jun 2015

The permanent scretary in the Ministry for Presidential Affairs and Public Administration, Ms Kebonye Moepeng, has dismissed as untrue reports that the Department of Broadcasting Services (DBS) has banned some cultural songs at the state run radio stations.

Ms Moepeng was  responding to a query raised by a member of the Public Accounts Committee (PAC), Mr Dithapelo Keorapetse, who had wanted to know if it was true that both Radio Botswana and RB2 had banned some popular traditional songs, which they deemed derogatory

Mr Keorapetse said he wondered what criteria were used to ban such songs while their equivalent in English were aired without any interference from the powers that be.

He asserted that if one could spare his time and listen to all the music played the whole day especially at RB2; one will find that most of the songs might not qualify to be played at all if they were to be translated into Setswana.

However Ms Moepeng,  said Shumba Ratshega’s Leso La monnamogolo, had not been banned, adding that some artists had registered formal complaints hat their songs were not receiving enough air play like other songs from different genres.

On other issues, she said her ministry was working on modalities and strategies on how to develop National Vision beyond 2016.

She said at the moment the exercise which is still at the preliminary stage is carried in partnership with a consultant. She however said the review of the current Vision 2016 performance will give them a model which will be followed.

The public will also be consulted during the process of the formulation of this national vision.She revealed that her ministry is still working on modalities which will be adopted to make it possible for Btv to cover live Parliamentary debates while on the other hand the ministry was also still making a draft f a Bill of Declaration of Asserts and will be brought before parliament at the appropriate time.

Meanwhile MP Palson Majaga commended Radio Botswana and DailyNews as they were  reaching people in the rural areas.

He also proposed that more officers should be engaged by the departments to cover the whole country.  ENDS