Kakunawe Shinana
2 May 2008
Windhoek — A RECENT announcement by Government heralding its plans to establish a council meant to regulate the Namibian media has sparked an outcry from some quarters of society, particularly journalists themselves.
It is generally viewed as an attempt by Government to control the media, and as militating against the spirit of the Constitution.
The announcement, made by then former Minister of Information and Broadcasting, Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah, stems from the Swapo Party's 4th congress, which claimed "misuse of media contrary to national reconciliation and maintenance of peace and stability".
Nandi-Ndaitwah insisted that such a council would "assist the media to provide quality services to the people".
Justifying Government move, she accused the media of dragging its feet and failing to get self-regulation off the ground.
With the consequences of government muzzling of the media evident in countries like Kenya and Zimbabwe - where independent media have effectively been silenced and where freedom of the press is threatened and in some cases is non-existent - it is hardly surprising that most Namibian media practitioners feel that a Government-imposed media council would result in the death of media freedom in a country where privately-owned media dominate both print and broadcasting.
The Namibian spoke to the editors of some media houses to find out their views about the establishment of the council.
Eberhard Hofmann, Editor of the German newspaper Allgemeine Zeitung, says he feels it is not for the Government to set up a media council.
"A media council should be established by the media for the media, if they so decide in their own time and with thorough consultation with other stakeholders of democracy.
It cannot be a top-down process dictated by any other institution," he said.
Namibian Sun Editor Tabby Moyo agreed that the responsibility of setting up such a regulatory body should be left to the media themselves.
"The media have the responsibility to inform the Namibian population, and surely this responsibility should be carried out within the boundaries of ethics agreed to by the player in the media industry themselves," Moyo said.
"Government's plan to establish a media council is indeed worrying and one wonders why this push is coming at this stage.
While I acknowledge the need for a body to regulate media operations in the country, in any country for that matter, I don't think Government should be the force behind such an initiative," Moyo said.
'A BIG NO-NO' The Namibian's Editor, Gwen Lister, had this to say: "It's a big no-no.
This is not the preserve of Government but of the media themselves, if there is to be regulation it should be self-regulation by the media in conjunction with the civil society.
"Government needs to manage its own affairs rather than meddle in the business of the media.
This is the time when we need to strengthen our democracy and our Bill of Rights and not erode them.
African governments need to nurture and provide a level playing field for media, particularly independent media, to flourish and grow, rather than the contrary," Lister said.
"It is likely that a lot of private media would refuse to recognise such a body if it was set up by the Government, which itself is a media owner and so has vested interest in protecting its own media as opposed to the private media which doesn't fall under its control.
It would therefore in all likelihood endanger our rights to press freedom and free speech," she added.
Rajah Munamava, Editor of the Government-owned New Era, says Government should rather encourage media institutions to set up their own council, as self-regulation is important.
"A close relationship between Government and the media could create a perception of non-independence; however media houses must realise that their failure to move has encouraged the Government to come in with the council proposition," said Munamava.
Munamava encouraged media houses to see the urgency in Government's push for a media council, urging that media houses bury their differences and get their house in order.
"If the media houses don't move then we will become our own worst enemies".
'YAY FOR GOVT' Mushitu Mukwame, TV News Editor of the State-run Namibian Broadcasting Corporation views Government's plan for a media council as a positive move which he says would be in the best interest of all.
"There should be a partnership between Government and private media practitioners.
Why should we operate in isolation? The Government and private media practitioners should meet each other halfway.
"The Media Council will work in the interest of ordinary people who cannot afford a lawyer, however media freedom should be guaranteed.
The council should not be feared, and media practitioners should not be afraid of being monitored," Mukwame stated.
The Windhoek Observer's Editor Hannes Smith noted that he had been through heavy and expensive legal battles with the then South African Media Council (prior to Namibian independence).
"We are in a profession where what we do is either black or white.
We are subject to applicable legislation.
If this council turns into a reality I can do nothing about it but I hope that those who will be serving on the council are conversant on what media and newspapers are all about.
"A free press has done the country no harm and a media council should have experienced people who understand the media and its frailties," Smith said.
The Editor of Informante, Max Hamata, said as much as the public needed some sort of media body to air their views and complaints, media practitioners needed a self-regulatory body and not one imposed by the State.
"With a State-imposed council, you will be damned when, let's say you publish sensitive issues such as exposing corruption and abuse of public funds.
Media must be seen as a partner in combating corruption not as the enemy," he added.
Floris Steenkamp, Editor of coastal-based newspaper The Namib Times put it this way: "When it comes to media ethics I will be the first to support a media council.
Yet as a player in the independent media I want to add my voice to my colleagues that a Government-backed media council is not the way to go.
Government and the private sector works together at various levels in the Namibian society already."
Steenkamp felt the emphasis should rather be on consultation, co-operation, exchanging views and other dynamic processes that form part of democracy.
"I see a media council for Namibia as a similar entity where Government as well as state and the independent media meet one another on a neutral platform where we can share, debate and agree on issues of mutual concern.
Much the same like an agricultural union or employers federation where neither the government nor the media is the most important factor but rather the issues that affect our country and its people.
The Editors Forum which we established last year is already talking about getting an ethics standard going for the media, and I don't see any reason why we need government to guide us as to what is ethics is and what is not," said Steenkamp.
CITIZENS' RIGHTS Chris Jacobie, Editor of Republikein, says: "I surely will reject and oppose any attempt by any government to set up a media council for whatever reason they may deem it necessary to do so.
I believe that the current Government overestimated the fragmentation of the most influential private media and also their capacity to force their will upon the media, but at the same time underestimated the independence of the independent and influential media and its consumers.
"They underestimated the independence of the people and the media in general as so amply illustrated by various factions and splits in the very same Government that wants to tailor an uniformed council for all the different media and consumers.
It defies logic.
Successful failures from Government to control the 'National Chat Show' and other phone-in programmes on NBC, which is under their direct control and is their main responsibility, prove that Government is not qualified or capable of controlling the will of the people, even if they control the messenger.
"Inadvertently, Government has rather supplied the best reason for private media to stand and work together in achieving a vibrant and trustworthy private media that the people of Namibia so richly deserve as a fundamental right under the Namibian constitution, because they were denied that for so long, media and society were controlled for too long and it's a pity that the same Government whose leaders and followers sacrificed so much for fundamental freedoms have such a short memory.
"The most powerful argument to reject the media council by Government is the support that this misguided threat received from the party newspaper Namibia Today, which also rejected a media council by the media themselves.
The proof of the type of censorship that Government wants to achieve is also the Namibia Today who in their last edition chose to ignore the fact that seven influential members and leaders of the party were arrested for their role in the Avid fraud scheme.
The citizen's right to information was suppressed for the party's convenience," Jacobie noted.
"I also want to remind Namibia that the Zimbabwean government under the minister of information, Jonathan Moyo, also imposed media regulations with the consent of private media on a vibrant and even leading Zimbabwean media.
Today they still have regulations, no private media to speak of, no Jonathan Moyo, and the cries of the citizens must be heard through other media who must find creative ways to bring the terrible news to of Zimbabweans suffering to the attention of the world.
Namibian media cannot see into the future, but like its leaders it can learn from mistakes elsewhere.
I personally think that the move by of the Information Minister is the closest the Government will come to publicly admitting that their threats were ill conceived and a mistake that should be abandoned.
I look forward to better cooperation between the different media in the interest of the consumers of media in general and towards the creation of a free republic of free thinkers and will assist in any way that may be necessary," Jacobie said.
It remains to be seen whether the new Information and Broadcasting Minister will take up where former Minister Nandi-Ndaitwah left off.
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