15 Aug 2017

Various stakeholders who participated in a panel discussion on Access to Information in Gaborone recently agreed on the importance of enacting legal framework to allow for freedom of information.

Media Institute of Southern Africa (MISA) Botswana chapter chairperson, Mr Modise Maphanyane, Gaborone Central Member of Parliament (MP), Mr Phenyo Butale, and a representative of the governing Botswana Democratic Party (BDP) Mr Louis Sibanda concurred on the need for access to information.

Mr Sibanda said the BDP believes it is important for information to be availed to the public, but any legislating for such should be carefully considered in order to protect national interest.

“As a party we agree entirely that access to information is important. But we realize that as a country there are sensitive issues that need to be protected in the national interest.

There are national organs that exist for the protection of the country’s sovereignty and democracy, and once we are satisfied that these will be protected, we can adopt an access to information law,” Mr Sibanda said.

He said that they had initially supported most of the contents of the Private Member’s Bill that was presented before parliament a few years ago by the former Gaborone Central MP, Botswana

Congress Party leader, Mr Dumelang Saleshando, but the BDP parliamentary caucus eventually voted against it.

“We agreed with most of what was contained in the bill, but the problem was that sensitive information around areas that we sought to protect such as national security were not adequately provided for. The bill would only protect sensitive information on condition that “unless it is in the public interest.”

As a country we do not want to become exposed,” Mr Sibanda said.

He added that Americans and Europeans who sponsor Freedom of Information acts in Africa do not take kindly to their own information being revealed publicly and are currently trying to arrest of one of the world’s biggest whistleblowers, WikiLeaks leader, Julian Assange.

Mr Maphanyane on the other hand said that country should have long had an Access to Information law since it was one of the aspirations of Batswana contained in the National Vision 2016.

“Those in government are placed in power to perform statutory functions on behalf of the citizens, who have a right to know how they are being governed.

You have a right to be given the rules that govern you in order to challenge them if they hinder your rights,” Mr Maphanyane said.

He said that a legal framework that allows media practitioners and ordinary citizens to access information should be legislated in order to enhance the country’s democracy.

Mr Butale also said that a law providing for access to information was long overdue, stating that across the continent African governments tend to lean towards secrecy to the detriment of ordinary citizens.

He said the parliamentary opposition would keep on pushing for the country to have a freedom of information law.Ends