Director of Public Relations for the Botswana Directorate of Intelligence and Security (DIS), Edward Robert, has issued a statement after the DIS allegedly invaded the offices of a leading newspaper, Mmegi, on Thursday last week and took in its editor and a reporter for questioning.
The editor, Ryder Gabathuse, and reporter, Innocent Selatlhwa, were taken from the newspaper’s offices hours before the deadline by a security detail.
Robert informed CBS News that the duo were taken in for questioning by the DIS and released the same day.
In his statement, Robert says that the journalist and his senior have conducted themselves in contravention of the Intelligence Act.
nbc News wanted to know which regulation of the Act the two have contravened, to which Robert replied, “I am not in a position to divulge details of the investigations in question so as not to compromise the integrity of the same. The DIS has been engaging with media bodies following the incident, and we believe the feedback from those engagements will guide and enhance the relationship between the two.”
“The DIS appreciates the role of the media in a democracy and national security,” concluded Robert.
According to a 2022 report by Reporters Without Borders, Namibia’s eastern neighbour, Botswana, has seen a decline in the most serious abuses against journalists in recent years, but many obstacles still hinder their work.
The country’s ranking on the Press Freedom Index has nosedived by 57 spots to position 95 for the year 2022, from a total of 180 countries.
Emil Seibeb
Leave a Reply