Botswana: Botswana newspaper establisher wins press freedom award

MISA Communiqué (Misa Press Freedom Award 2004)

September 3, 2004

Botswana newspaper establisher wins press freedom award

Mr. Methaetsile Leepile was awarded the prestigious MISA Press Freedom Award
for 2004 for his involvement in the establishment of the first vernacular
Setswana newspaper in Botswana. His achievement was celebrated for its
contribution to the promotion of indigenous language systems in the media in
the sub region. At the same time, MISA paid tribute to Mr. Leepile's
illustrious career in media development in the region - a career which spans
over more than 20 years.

In March 2002 under Mr. Leepile's guidance, the first ever vernacular
Setswana broadsheet newspaper, Mokgosi, was born in Botswana. The weekly
broadsheet has a circulation of 10 000 copies.

According to Mr. Leepile he was led by the need to promote the Setswana
language which, although recognised as a national language, is not
adequately promoted in Botswana as most communication in the country is in
the English language, including all government and media communications.
Mokgosi also carries articles in other vernacular languages.

Editorially Mokgosi newspaper also tackles social, political and economic
issues from a developmental agenda, ensuring that a previously large sector
of the Botswana population is able to access credible information on issues
that affect their livelihood.

Mr Leepile is however no stranger to MISA. He was amongst the group of media
practitioners who met in Chobe 1989 to discuss the future of the media in
our region. These discussions finally led to the formation of MISA through
the Windhoek Declaration. He became the first director of MISA in 1994 and
left its head office in Windhoek in 1999 to take up the management of the
Southern Africa Media Development Fund (Samdef).

Speaking at a gala dinner in Maseru, Lesotho, on August 27 2004, Mr. Leepile
noted that language encapsulates a people's culture, its social mores, its
values, and its knowledge.

"When a language dies, a people's knowledge dies with it. Language is about
economic and social empowerment. More people can be brought into public and
productive life by wider and more productive use of indigenous languages
like Setswana. The development of language can be used to promote a sound
understanding of entrepreneurship, commerce, economics, history, science and
technology", he said in his acceptance speech.

* The annual MISA Press Freedom Award is designed to recognise the work of
an individual or institution that is considered to have made a significant
contribution to the promotion of media freedom in the Southern Africa
Development Community (SADC) region. The excellence which the award
acknowledges can be achieved either through reportage or in other ways such
as media reform, lobbying or training.

Mr. Leepile is the 11th recipient of the MISA Press Freedom Award
incalculable contribution to media diversity and pluralism in our region.
Previous recipients include Onesimo Makani Kabweza (Zimbabwe, 1993),
Basildon Peta (Zimbabwe, 1994), Fred M'membe (Zambia, 1995), Allister Sparks
(South Africa, 1996), Gwen Lister (Namibia, 1997), African Eye News Service
(South Africa, 1998), Bright Chola Mwape (Zambia, 1999), Geoffrey Nyarota
(Zimbabwe, 2000), Carlos Cardoso (Mozambique, 2001), Judge Dr. Augusto Raul
Paulino (Mozambique, 2003). The award was not presented in 2002 which
coincided with MISA's 10th anniversary.

Zoé Titus
Regional Programme Manager: Media Freedom Monitoring
Media Institute of Southern Africa (MISA)

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