botswana: Journalists attacked by university students

IFEX - News from the international freedom of expression community
_________________________________________________________________

ALERT - BOTSWANA

9 December 2002

Journalists attacked by university students

SOURCE: Media Institute of Southern Africa (MISA), Windhoek

(MISA/IFEX) - On 5 December 2002, University of Botswana (UB) students, armed
with bricks and stones, attacked two journalists from the bi-weekly newspaper
"Mokgosi" on 5 December 2002.

At around 5:00 a.m. (local time) on 5 December, Moreri Moroka, a "Mokgosi"
freelance reporter and well-known poet, who is also a third-year student at the
UB, and photographer Moreri Sejakgomo were covering student demonstrations on
campus, when a crowd of about 100 students surrounded, verbally abused and
manhandled them. The Student Representative Committee (SRC) and UB security
personnel later identified and freed Moroka. He was then forced to dodge flying
bricks from the mob as he was walking out of the campus gates. Sejakgomo had
managed to flee the campus earlier, but not before being manhandled by the
students.

"Mokgosi" management said it viewed the incident with contempt, finding it both
disturbing and unfortunate. "The fact that [the journalists] were made the
target of misdirected anger of rampaging students serves as a warning and a
threat against those who put their lives on the line to inform the nation of
problems facing the country," said "Mokgosi" editor Pamela Dube. "The fact that
the students felt strongly about the university administration's disregard to
their demands does not give them a licence to target innocent messengers."

Moroka says he fears for his life since his attackers are fellow students, with
some of whom he shares lecture rooms.

MISA Botswana strongly condemned the students' action and said that it was
unfortunate that "the messenger had to be shot." MISA Botswana re-affirmed its
commitment to advocate for a free media environment for all journalists in
Botswana.

For further information, contact Zoe Titus or Kaitira Kandjii, Regional
Information Coordinator, MISA, Street Address: 21 Johann Albrecht Street,
Mailing Address; Private Bag 13386 Windhoek, Namibia, tel: +264 61 232975, fax:
+264 61 248016, e-mail: [email protected] or [email protected], Internet:
http://www.misa.org/

The information contained in this alert is the sole responsibility of MISA. In
citing this material for broadcast or publication, please credit MISA.
_________________________________________________________________
DISTRIBUTED BY THE INTERNATIONAL FREEDOM OF EXPRESSION
EXCHANGE (IFEX) CLEARING HOUSE
489 College Street, Suite 403, Toronto (ON) M6G 1A5 CANADA
tel: +1 416 515 9622 fax: +1 416 515 7879
alerts e-mail: [email protected] general e-mail: [email protected]
Internet site: http://www.ifex.org/
_________________________________________________________________