Botswana journalists complain of harsh treatment from Zambian security officers

Botswana journalists complain of harsh treatment from Zambian security officers
By Abigail Chaponda in Ndola
Mon 05 July 2010, 14:00 CAT

BOSTWANA journalists who came to cover their President Lieutenant General Seretse Khama Ian Khama at the Zambia International Trade Fair in Ndola have complained of harsh treatment from Zambian security officers.

And Botswana Broadcasting Television cameraman slapped one of the security officers when he tried to block him from covering President Khama.

During the state banquet at the Savoy Hotel on Saturday evening, one of the female officers from the Office of the President told journalist both from Zambia and Botswana that they were not important and were not needed at the function because they were just causing confusion.

The officer even stopped Savoy personnel from ushering the journalists where to sit saying that the place was fully packed and journalists were not welcome.
But a Times of Zambia reporter responded that reporters had the right to attend a state function and that it was impossible not to cover the President because he was a public figure.

The reporter told the officer that they (security officers) were embarrassing themselves in front of the visitors.

Another officer said journalists from Botswana would soon learn how things were done in Zambia.

Botswana journalists who were surprised at what was happening said they were not happy with the harsh treatment and were disappointed that journalists were not respected in Zambia.

“We are disappointed with your security people, is this how you people are treated here? I am disappointed,” said one of the reporters.

And the BTV cameraman said he was not happy with the security officers blocking him from covering President Khama and that was the reason he slapped one of them.

“I was blocked from covering my President by the security people. What I did was to slap the officer, I told him ‘fusake mani’ and I went on with my business of covering my President. You don’t block journalists like that, it is bad,” he complained.