Media Monitoring Africa says the South African government should pressure neighbouring countries, particularly Botswana, to allow greater media freedom.
The NGO was reacting to the arrest of a prominent Botswana Newspaper Editor.
Outsa Mokone was charged after publishing an article which the government saw as seditious.
He was previously arrested twice for the same alleged offence.
William Bird from Media Monitoring Africa says scores of other journalists in Botswana have been intimidated.
Despite Botswana being broadly a democratic state, the media laws are certainly not in line.
Media Monitoring Africa says they need South African government to apply pressure to their respective counterparts in Botswana.
“South Africa is a central country to the region and I think not to encourage our neighbouring countries to adopt greater levels of media freedom is deeply embarrassing.”
– By SABC
