(MISA/IFEX) – The following is a MISA statement: MISA speaks out on the former Namibian president’s attempt to muzzle the media The Media Institute of Southern Africa (MISA) abhors the action taken by former head of state and President of Swapo, Sam Nujoma, who is reportedly suing The Namibian newspaper for N$5 million because, he […]
(MISA/IFEX) – The following is a MISA statement:
MISA speaks out on the former Namibian president’s attempt to muzzle the media
The Media Institute of Southern Africa (MISA) abhors the action taken by former head of state and President of Swapo, Sam Nujoma, who is reportedly suing The Namibian newspaper for N$5 million because, he alleges, the newspaper implied he is corrupt.
We appeal to Mr. Nujoma to acknowledge that The Namibian newspaper was actively reporting on information already in the public domain, information that was made available in a public hearing and which is contained in a sworn affidavit that was filed with the court.
In addition, whilst the alleged defamatory article was published on August 10, 2005, Mr. Nujoma’s action to refute the claims held in the article was prominently published on the front page of the same newspaper on August 12, 2005. He was therefore given the right to reply in the same newspaper, an act which is fair and expected of ethical news reportage.
Having studied the summons, MISA is further concerned by a statement therein which suggests that Mr. Nujoma should be above reproach owing to “. . . the contribution he made in the liberation and emancipation of the Namibian nation from political oppression, establishment of democratic institutions in Namibia and promoting accountable government that was free from corruption”.
MISA wishes to make it categorically clear that Mr. Nujoma was honoured for his contribution to the liberation and emancipation of the Namibian nation when the title “Founding Father of the Nation” was conferred upon him in November 2005. Notwithstanding, Mr. Nujoma is a citizen of Namibia and one who held the highest public office. He should therefore expect closer scrutiny as he is accountable to those very persons who elected him to public office to, among other things, manage public funds in a transparent, accountable and honest manner.
We wish to remind Mr. Nujoma that the Namibian capital, Windhoek, is the seat of the Windhoek Declaration on Promoting an Independent and Pluralistic African Press, which is regarded as the founding document for an open, free, independent and pluralistic press in Africa. The Windhoek Declaration, which was accepted as a declaration of the United Nations at its 26th Session of its General Conference, was launched in Windhoek in May 1991 where Mr. Nujoma himself officiated. The day was seen as a celebration of the then-new democracy of Namibia as a country, and of the media in Africa and the world as a whole. It is therefore worrying, in our opinion, that Windhoek and Namibia be quoted internationally as the seat of a violation of media freedom, the rights of its people to freely express themselves, or any attempt to curtail the release of information and stimulate public debate aimed at empowering citizens to make informed decisions.
Ten years on, on the 10th anniversary of the Windhoek Declaration in 2001, President Nujoma conceded that information is the strong foundation on which democracy is built, saying: “Information has the ability to empower and motivate people to take charge of their own destinies and to contribute to self-development as well as national and continental development in order to eradicate suffering and evils from the face of our continent.”
It is therefore assumed that Mr. Nujoma fully appreciates the role of the media, among other actors, as a disseminator of information.
On the same occasion, Mr. Nujoma noted that governments and their leaders are not above criticism.
This most recent action by Mr. Nujoma is considered an attempt to muzzle the media and to suppress public opinion. The Namibian media has an important role to play in society as a disseminator of information and educator.
In light of recent developments, the media’s role in promoting good governance and controlling corruption cannot be underestimated. It not only raises public awareness about corruption, its causes, consequences and possible remedies, but also investigates and reports incidences of corruption. The effectiveness of the media, in turn, depends on access to information and freedom of expression.
On the eve of the international “Right to Know” day, we realise that there is little reason for celebration if the founding father of the nation is at the forefront of restricting media freedoms and ultimately the public’s right to know.
Therefore, MISA appeals to Mr. Nujoma to retract the lawsuit in a showing of statesmanship and in honour of many statements he made in the past aimed at advancing media freedom and freedom of expression in Namibia.
