Are Officials Undermining Geingob’s Media Freedom Promises?

The suspension of a New Era editor this week is a blow to president Hage Geingob’s promises of media freedom, and sends a chilling warning to state-employed journalists.

Seven days ago, Geingob emphasised that his government sees access to information as “a core pillar” of effective governance.

A day after the president’s speech New Era’s chief executive, Christof Maletsky, suspended managing editor Johnathan Beukes.

Beukes is accused of casting aspersions on the judiciary in an editorial titled ‘No Confidence in Secretive Judiciary’.

It focused on a lack of transparency in the appointment of judges and questioned the appointment of retired Zimbabwe High Court judge Moses Chinhengo as the Fishrot case judge.

“Namibians, the sovereign, it would appear, must simply swallow, hook, line and sinker whatever the chief justice and his lieutenants decided in terms of the judiciary composition,” the editorial said.

“What is strange is whenever the public demands transparency from the judiciary around its process, it is met with sheer pomposity, as if to say this branch of the state is holy, beyond reproach, and accounts to no one.”

The Namibian agrees with the editorial’s position on the need for transparency in the judiciary.

It should open up its processes.

In fact, we believe that New Era, like any other media outlet, should be able to question the judiciary fairly and factually.

Suspending an editor over what appears to be fair comment sends a chilling message to other state-owned media organisations – especially as the country heads into an election year.

If anything, the suspension tramples on Geingob’s long-held and oft-repeated promises on media freedom.

The president’s technocrats, including officials in the Ministry of Information and Communication Technology and the Presidency, have over the years made decisions that clearly contradict his promises.

For instance, media reports this week said information minister Peya Mushelenga and his executive director, Audrin Mathe, have recently complained about a series of reports published by New Era.

Politicians and technocrats should be reminded that state-owned media is owned by the people and not by any political party.

We couldn’t agree more with former South African president Nelson Mandela who said: “A critical, independent and investigative press is the lifeblood of any democracy. The press must be free from state interference.”