MEDIA ombudsman John Nakuta said the registration of SIM cards by the Communications Regulatory Authority of Namibia is sabotaging the work of the investigative journalists.
"This has a serious effect on investigative journalists. Who would want to blow the whistle if they know they can be traced?" Nakuta said.
He was speaking yesterday during the 2022 African Anti-Corruption Day celebrated under the theme, 'Strategies and mechanism for the transparent management of Covid-19 funds'.
Nakuta said the media plays a vital role in fighting corruption and through investigative journalism, cases such as the Fishrot came out.
Journalist and Namibia Media Professionals Union secretary general Jemima Beukes said sometimes journalists refrain from reporting cases because they do not have enough power.
"We have seen a number of court cases against journalists and journalists usually report on tips they receive from the public and go out of their way to ensure they have relevant documents," she said.
Beukes stressed the need for ACC to work with the media as partners.
"ACC is working on its own, the media are working on their own to fight corruption. When it comes to information-sharing, the media are not seen as partners. We have to scramble for information on our own," she said.
