THE ejection of two Namibian journalists from covering Cuban President Raúl Castro Ruz’s arrival at Hosea Kutako International Airport recently has been denounced by the Media Institute of Southern Africa (Misa).
Misa Namibia has described the incident as ‘unwarranted’ and an ‘infringement on media rights to access and disseminate information’.In a statement, Misa Namibia Director, Mathew Haikali, labelled the airport incident ‘discriminatory’ and ‘a violation of freedom of expression, freedom of speech and freedom of movement’. Haikali states: ‘We reiterate that the media exists to tell the story as it is, without fear or favour.’Misa Namibia made a call on Government ‘to respect and treat all bona fide media houses equally and offer equal access to all media for the coverage of national events’ as ‘by their nature, national events are of interest to all citizens whether they are state or private media, hence the need to remove all restrictions on their coverage’.Haikali called on Namibian media to unite against the suppression of press freedom in the country.ndapwa@namibian.com.na
Stay informed with The Namibian – your source for credible journalism. Get in-depth reporting and opinions for
only N$85 a month. Invest in journalism, invest in democracy –
Subscribe Now!
