In an effort to push back on the draconian criminal procedure and evidence bill, which was recently brought to parliament on a certificate of urgency, a collective of organisations representing the spectrum of the media in Botswana has lobbied the European Union to intervene.
MISA Botswana, Press Council of Botswana and the Botswana Editors Forum this week handed an appeal to the Head of EU Delegation in Botswana, calling on the delegation to look at this law and evaluate if it meets the minimum threshold of European Union standards on media freedom, freedom of expression and Human Rights.
Among other things the Criminal Procedure and Evidence Bill seeks to allow security agencies to intercept communications of citizens including the media and their sources.
The Bill also seeks to give security agencies and agents a blank cheque by removing what little oversight remains in the laws at the moment.
It also allows for assumed identities of security agents with little oversight or monitoring.
But it is the effect that the Bill will have on the media and freedom of expression if it is passed in its current form that worries the media most.
“We call on the European Union Delegation in Botswana to look at this law and evaluate if it meets the minimum threshold of European Union standards on media freedom, freedom of expression and Human Rights.
We also call on your office to evaluate if this is a law that the European Union and its agencies would accept as a necessary trade off that the citizens of Botswana and especially the media should make in exchange for the European Commission lifting Botswana from the grey-listing.
Our view as the media in Botswana is that citizens of Botswana are being asked to pay a frighteningly high price with their freedoms in exchange for their country being altogether removed from the European Commission black listing.
In our view as the media in Botswana, the Freedom of the press and Human Rights are too sacrosanct and sacred to be sacrificed on the altar of economic or political expediency.
We sincerely believe it is not too late to correct this,” said the media in a statement that was handed over by Botswana Editors Forum Chairperson, Spencer Mogapi to EU ambassador to Botswana and SADC, Jan Sadek.
In response the ambassador said the delegation would have to closely scrutinize the bill before they could make a formal pronouncement on it.
