The decision by Government to set up the Botswana Government Communications and Information Systems (BGCIS) is a good one and, by all accounts, bears commendation.
Many countries across the world, including South Africa, have had such an institution for many years now.
Properly managed, BGCIS could become an efficient vehicle through which government would communicate its programmes and policies to the general population.
It could also be used as a two way street through which the population would, in turn, give feedback to the government on what they think would best improve their lives.
More importantly, it is commendable that BGCIS itself seems steadfast in establishing a vibrant research unit, which one hopes would inform the various government policy interventions.
Managed from the Office of the President, the unit has opened satellite outlets at ministerial level which are manned by public relations officers of varying seniority levels.
This is really good and reassuring.
If such officers are properly empowered by ministers and permanent secretaries to directly communicate with the media and the public, the outcome is bound to be terrific.
But there are some pitfalls of which BGCIS should be careful.
While one does not want to be excessively harsh on this important creation not least because it is relatively new, has great potential and is still, in many ways, struggling to find its footing there are some unpleasant signals that cannot be condoned even for a government unit still in its formative stages.
It would seem like BGCIS still does not really know what its mandate is, let alone appreciate its boundaries, parameters of operation or limitations.
Perhaps out of zeal, the officials therein want to be seen to be everywhere and doing everything if only to please the ruling party High Priests.
That is dangerous, to say the least.
One thing that immediately comes to my mind is that BGCIS should never, under any circumstances, attempt to speak for the ruling party.
BGCIS can only speak for government.
They should never, under any circumstances, behave like they are a subcommittee of the ruling party, for they are not.
Even when addressing matters pertaining to the Presidency, BGCIS should strive to make sure that they confine themselves to purely government business and separate matters of the party from those of the state: they should never mix the two.
I hope we are not expecting too much by demanding that BGCIS officials should not behave like they are employed by BDP.
In any case, the BDP is a wealthy, grown up party capable of defending itself. They do not need an infantile unit like BGCIS to be protecting and defending them in shrill voices as happened three weeks ago.
If separating the two cannot be done, then we may as well move BGCIS and their budget to Tsholetsa House or move Tsholetsa House to where BGCIS is currently domiciled.
I repeatedly emphasise a clear separation between BGCIS and BDP because events of the last three weeks have blurred the lines.
Secondly, BGCIS should never try to see itself as an official principal of the government media outlets ÔÇô established to supervise government editors on how to do their work.
While BGCIS and the media (not just government) need to work hand in hand for the sheer objective of informing the nation, it would be a fantasy for BGCIS, just because they happen to be in the Office of the President, to think they can yell instructions at everyone.
Regrettably, that seems to be a fantasy they are living through.
The full force and tenacity with which BGCIS unleashed their propaganda machinery to counter the findings of the Afrobarometer could only have been expected from the BDP.
I suspect even the BDP head office was worried, especially because many of the Afrobarometer findings were more political in orientation than administrative.
I cannot, for a moment, think of a more selfish, disgraceful and self-centered behaviour from a supposedly apolitical institution like BGCIS.
In their zeal to defend and protect government, most especially the President, I am worried that BGCIS may actually be contributing, if not expediting, the unit’s downfall.
With the economy in tatters this is not the time to be pointing fingers. The media and government need each other.
It is unfortunate that in the short span of time it has been in existence, BGCIS has, instead of portraying government as open and all inclusive, the unit has tended to cast the government as impervious, defensive and exclusive.
Nothing depresses more than the anti-Botswana media frame of mind that BGCIS has nurtured over the last three weeks.
In their zeal to be seen to be defending government, BGCIS officials took away what is essentially a BDP office job and in the process started looking and behaving more like hired guns and less than civil servants.
I doubt that is the image they wanted to create of themselves.
One can only advice them to tread with caution and restraint. They have a big job waiting for them ahead and they cannot perform it diligently if they start selling their souls to politicians so early in their life spans.
