Journalist Sonny Serite was detained by the police yesterday at Gaborone Central police station because of a recent story he wrote about corruption at Botswana Railways. According to his lawyer Letsweletse Dingake, the have confiscated his car and cannot say why they have arrested him, all they say is an issue of national security. It seems Police are yet again refusing Dingake access to Serite, this has caused an uproar in the local media and the public at large.
Members of the media and the general public are outside the Gaborone central Police in a peaceful demonstration. Vice President of Botswana media workers union Calistus Bosaletswe says that the protest is to demonstrate the unhappiness over the lack of information from the police as to why Serite has been detained and for how long.
Botswana Police Service Spokesperson Christopher Mbulawa has addressed the members of the media but gives no reason as to why journalist Sonny Serite is detained, his whereabouts or what he is charged with. Mbulawa says investigations are still ongoing.
Serite’s arrest, together with past arrests of journalists in Botswana shows that indeed freedom of journalists in Botswana is under serious threat. Such incidents should not go unnoticed as they clearly show that the current government does not respect democracy and the rule of law.
