This year members of the press from their respective media houses converged at the Lobatse Park to commemorate the annual World Press Freedom day.
Though slow to start, the program eventually began and all the speakers deliberated around this year’s theme, “FREE MEDIA CONTRIBUTES TO GOOD GOVERNANCE, EMPOWERMENT AND ERADICATING POVERTY.”
The topic that seemed to make its rounds was the safety or lack of it thereof of journalists while in the line of duty taking a moment of silence in honor of journalists who in past have suffered while trying to get “the story”
When welcoming the guests to their town, Assistant District commissioner, Ernest Phiri made a plea to the journalists present not to forget about Lobatse explaining that the town still had a lot to offer in terms of heritage, history and culture.
Also present at this commemoration were students from Limkokwing University, which takes pride as one of the largest contributors of journalism graduates to the industry.
Guest speaker, Akanyang Tombale, the Chief Executive Officer of Botswana Meat Commission, cited the importance of journalists checking their fact before going to print because we live in a global community and any mistakes made could have detrimental effects on the country at large.
After all the speakers made their presentations the media fraternity who were in Lobatse alongside the local community proceeded to the Lobatse stadium to partake in different fun social actives.
There was a series of fun races which journalists from various media houses took part in.
Reginald Richardson was the man with a plan as he entered each and every race and won them. The otherwise stern and serious Gabz Fm morning show host swapped the microphone for an egg and spoon and won the egg and spoon race. He put aside his suit for a sack and proceeded to win a hilarious sack race.
It wouldn’t be fair not to mention the participation of journalist Calistus Bosaletswe who also attempted every race but barely finished any of them providing a very dramatic take off at the beginning of every race leaving the spectators in stitches.
Then came the football match between the media houses (Media Zebras) and the Lobatse town council soccer team.
The journalists should not quit their day job. Media Zebras suffered an embarrassing 8-4 loss to the local team. This loss however did not dampen their mood as they proceeded back to the park for a barbecue before their departure back to Gaborone.
