(MISA/IFEX) – On 17 March 1999, a Member of Parliament (MP) for the ruling South West African People’s Organisation (SWAPO), Nathaniel Maxuilili, threatened to use his influence to ban a popular Oshiwambo-language talk show for allowing people to air what he described as “nonsense” on Namibia’s involvement in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). **Updates […]
(MISA/IFEX) – On 17 March 1999, a Member of Parliament (MP) for the
ruling
South West African People’s Organisation (SWAPO), Nathaniel Maxuilili,
threatened to use his influence to ban a popular Oshiwambo-language talk
show for allowing people to air what he described as “nonsense” on
Namibia’s
involvement in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).
**Updates IFEX alerts of 4 January 1999 and 29 December 1998**
Many callers have spoken out strongly against Namibia’s involvement in
the
conflict, on the popular “Ewi Lyamanguluka” call-in show which is aired
on
the public broadcaster.
The “Namibian” newspaper reported that Maxuilili’s outburst came during
a
press briefing addressed by Defence Minister Erikki Nghimtina in
Windhoek.
The MP who had accompanied the minister to the briefing kept
interjecting as
journalists were posing questions about the situation in the DRC and its
likely effects on Namibia.
Maxuilili said people airing their views on “Ewi Lyamanguluka” “talk a
lot
of rubbish after coming from the tombo pot.” The newspaper further
quoted
him as saying: “If I ask the government to stop it (the programme) they
will.”
Maxuilili also told journalist John Grobler to stop asking silly
questions,
after Grobler had asked Nghimtina how sending Namibian troops to the DRC
would prevent instability in Namibia.
Namibia has sent an unknown number of troops to the DRC to assist
beleaguered President Laurent Kabila in his fight against a rebel army.
Late
last year the government was reported to have imposed a news blackout on
information pertaining to the DRC, but this was later denied by
government
officials. Nevertheless this prompted calls for more proactive
disclosures
of information on the DRC by the government.
