Botswana Benchmarking Visit a Credit to Jamaica’s Information System – High Commissioner

Jamaica’s High Commissioner to the Republic of South Africa, Her Excellency Norma Taylor Roberts, says it is to Jamaica’s credit that the Botswana government is seeking to integrate aspects of the island’s information system into the African country’s communications framework.

“I am very happy that…Botswana has chosen Jamaica to benchmark their information services. It means that we are doing something good that another country can wish to pattern their information system off ours,” she told JIS News recently.

For the past week, a five-member Botswana delegation has been in the island for a communication benchmarking visit with the Jamaica Information Service (JIS). The mission is seeking to learn more about the structure and processes of the agency and how it goes about disseminating Government information to its various publics. The delegation leaves the country on September 23.

“The Botswana information system is located in the office of the presidency, so I think it is an honour for Jamaica to have been chosen and I really hope that this…will be a mutually beneficial exercise because in all areas, at all times, we can learn from each other and I hope it will be a very fruitful and productive encounter for both sides,” the High Commissioner said.

Jamaica is accredited to 19 countries in Southern and Eastern Africa, including Botswana, to which Mrs. Taylor Roberts presented her credentials last week.

Mrs. Taylor Roberts, who is based in Pretoria, is the second head of mission to South Africa since it was established in 2006. She noted that both countries have had a very close and historical political relationship through the anti-apartheid struggle, noting that the initial co-operation was essentially in the area of culture.

“So, our objective now and our focus is trying to build the relations from just being the cultural and the emotional aspect to having a sustained programme of co-operation in trade, investment, tourism and as well as culture especially in the  creative industries area,” she stated.

The delegation from Botswana includes Deputy Permanent Secretary, Ministry of State President, Botswana, Mogomotsi Kaboeamodimo; Director, Information Services Department, Russ Molosiwa; Managing Editor, Botswana Daily News, Charmaine Revaka; Chief Information Officer, Daphne Motsakae; and Radio Manager, Keitirile Mathapi. They got an opportunity to visit the JIS’ Television department as well as tour the Editorial, Radio, and Public Relations sections at the head office at Half-Way Tree Road.

The group also got to see firsthand, how the JIS interacts with the public relations officers in government through a special meeting of government communicators hosted by Minister of Information, Senator the Hon. Sandrea Falconer. In addition, they interacted with mainstream media at a luncheon.

The delegation also called on the Permanent Secretaries in the Office of the Prime Minister and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade – Ms. Onika Miller and Ambassador Paul Robotham, respectively. They also toured the Creative Production and Training Centre (CPTC), CARIMAC and the Public Broadcasting Corporation of Jamaica (PBCJ).