(MISA/IFEX) – According to MISA, on 14 April 1998, a cameraman for the Namibian Broadcasting Corporation (NBC) was assaulted by a local businessman while filming a group of managers who were being interviewed about an industrial strike in Windhoek (the capital city). Cameraman Hadley Mwashekeleh was punched in the face and his spectacles were broken […]
(MISA/IFEX) – According to MISA, on 14 April 1998, a cameraman for the
Namibian Broadcasting Corporation (NBC) was assaulted by a local businessman
while filming a group of managers who were being interviewed about an
industrial strike in Windhoek (the capital city).
Cameraman Hadley Mwashekeleh was punched in the face and his spectacles were
broken when he was attacked by Ronny Lindle, a manager at Spare Centre.
Mwashekeleh stood his ground, and managed to film his attack.
In an interview with MISA on 27 April, Mwashekeleh said that he was attacked
while at the Spare Centre premises to film an interview with managers about
a current worker’s strike over wages and conditions of service. Spare Centre
management, however, told MISA they were not aware of any attack on an NBC
crew by any of its managers.
The attack, however, was broadcast on the TV news service of the NBC the
same night. The video footage shows Lindle charging at Mwashekeleh and
throwing a punch while shouting at the cameraman to stop pointing the camera
at him.
According to Mwashekeleh, NBC management has refused to file a complaint
against Spare Centre saying “once a journalist is physically attacked while
on duty, the matter is between the journalist and the attacker.” He was told
to file a complaint with the police, which he has since done.
On 30 April 1998, MISA interviewed NBC Director, Dr. Ben Mulongeni, about
the attack: “It was an unprovoked assault. It is uncivilized to attack the
NBC and Mwashekeleh for merely doing his duty. The man that stood up and
punched Hadley looked very irritated by these NBC people that were talking
to other managers. In a previous video of the strike (filmed some days
before) this same man was seen with a gun and the Task force was even
there.”
Dr. Mulongeni said the NBC had decided to leave the matter in the hands of
the law and would see how the case proceeded. Constable Willemse is in
charge of the case.
