Media workers union irked by editor’s suspension

The Namibia Media Professionals Union (Nampu) has been irked by the suspension of state-owned New Era Publication Corporation managing editor Johnathan Beukes for alleged critical reportage.

Beukes was suspended yesterday, with claims this was due to the criticising stories the newpaper has been running on the government.
Beukes confirmed his suspension but said he is unable to disclose the reasons for his suspension.

“I cannot say anything further because the suspension letter states that I should not talk to anyone about this,” Beukes said.

New Era Publication Corporation chief executive Christof Maletsky also confirmed the suspension yesterday, without providing any further comment.

“This is an internal matter and the reasons for the suspension cannot be disclosed to the general public as of yet,” Maletsky said. Nampu acting secretary general Jemima Beukes expressed deep concern and condemned the suspension in a press statement issued yesterday.

Jemima Beukes said the managing editor, a dedicated journalist and competent editor, has been suspended from his position without any formal charges being brought against him.

“This incident raises serious questions about press freedom, journalistic independence and the protection of journalist rights in Namibia,” she said.

She also said the managing editor’s suspension appears to be a direct result of his unwavering commitment to fulfilling his professional duties without fear or favour.

The apparent offence seems to stem from exercising his constitutional right to freedom of expression in his recent editorial titled ‘No confidence in secretive judiciary’.

Jemima Beukes said the role of the media is to act as a watchdog, therefore, it is important that media professionals are allowed the freedom to report objectively and without any interference.

Nampu said New Era operates as an entity funded by taxpayers money and the public has every right to be informed about the function of all institutions, including the judiciary. “We call upon the Ministry of Information and Communication Technology to immediately reinstate Beukes and provide a full transparent account of the reasons behind his suspension,” she said.

Also weighing in on Beukes’ suspension, the Namibia Media Trust (NMT) expressed concern and views his suspension as a significant affront to media freedom.

Namibia Media Trust director Zoe Titus yesterday said they learned that Beukes’ suspension is connected to critical articles, editorials and opinion pieces related to the judicial service and judges that were published in the state-owned daily over the past week.

“The role of the media, particularly editors, is pivotal in upholding the principles of a free and open society. Any action that hinders their ability to perform their duties without undue interference is a matter of great concern,” Titus said.

She added that it is important to note that New Era is a government-owned newspaper and is not expected to show less criticism. “In fact, given its status as a publicly-funded institution, its independence becomes even more crucial and beneficial to the citizens of Namibia,” Titus said.

Titus added that if anyone, in this case, public official or legal practitioner, take issue with the content published in the newspaper, they are advised to approach the Office of the Media Ombudsman. This office exists specifically to uphold the Namibian Code of Conduct for Print, Broadcast and Online Media.

According to Titus, the suspension of an editor, especially when it is seen as punitive or politically motivated, sends a chilling message to the entire media industry and has a detrimental impact on the public’s right to access diverse and independent sources of information.

“It is imperative that such actions be thoroughly reviewed and assessed within the context of media freedom, freedom of expression, and access to information,” Titus said.

The Editors’ Forum of Namibia said they can not comment at this stage until it has seen the letter of suspension.