Gaborone, Botswana (PANA) – Three journalists from Botswana’s private media have been arrested for allegedly publishing a story on an ongoing investigation by the country’s anti-corruption law enforcement agency.
Botswana’s Directorate on Corruption and Economic Crime (DCEC) agents on Thursday whisked Botswana Gazette Managing Editor/Publisher Shike Olsen, News Editor Lawrence Seretse and journalist Innocent Selatlhwa to their offices.
The development came after DCEC agents failed to confiscate computers from the newspaper’s offices, with the publication’s lawyer Joao Salbany moving to stop the raid, calling it unlawful, unspecific and an infringement on media freedom.
On Wednesday night, DCEC officials had raided and sealed off the Botswana Gazette offices in the capital city of Gaborone after a warrant to seize the company’s computers was blocked by the Botswana Gazette’s lawyer.
Media Institute of Southern Africa (MISA) Botswana Director Buyani Zongwani said the unfortunate drama happened three days after the country joined the rest of the world in commemorating the 2015 World Press Freedom Day under the theme,‘Let journalism thrive! Towards better reporting, gender equality in the digital age’.
“How can journalism thrive when the so-called beacon of democracy in Africa violates press freedom recklessly?” queried Zongwan.
He said MISA Botswana condemns the latest act by the country’s security agents, and called on the government to respect press freedom.
