The Department of Information Services, home to BOPA, DailyNews, and Kutlwano, received a generous donation from the Chinese Embassy in Botswana consisting of five HP laptops and a MacBook Pro.
Ms. Maria Leshongwane, the director of Information Services, expressed gratitude for the longstanding partnership with the embassy, primarily through collaboration with Xinhua news agency. This partnership, dating back to the early 2000s, has facilitated content diversification in the DailyNews.
Initially, the department purchased content from Xinhua at a nominal fee, but about six years ago, the partnership evolved into a content-sharing agreement, with Xinhua providing content in exchange for stories from DailyNews. Ms. Leshongwane emphasized the critical role of Xinhua in filling the void left by other news agencies and supplying positive stories on Africa.
She highlighted the benefits of the content-sharing agreement, including increased exposure for DailyNews stories and an opportunity for a department staff member to participate in the Fifth World Media Summit in Guangzhou, China.
Ambassador Wang Xuefeng conveyed the embassy's desire to strengthen ties with the department, citing China's assistance to Botswana in various areas such as training programs and healthcare support.
Mr. Thebeyame Ramoroka, the departments Acting Deputy Director, expressed appreciation for the timely donation, particularly in an election year, and emphasized the positive relations between Botswana and China. He also expressed the departments interest in receiving support from the embassy, particularly in training editors and enhancing online publications.
