Former New Era editor Johnathan Beukes slams Govt’s proposed merger with Nampa, cites threat to press freedom

Former New Era managing editor Johnathan Beukes says the planned merger of New Era Publication Corporation (NEPC) and the Namibia Press Agency (Nampa) would muzzle New Era’s “principled voice”.

This comes as Beukes yesterday in a WhatsApp message announced he is no longer employed at NEPC.

“Decisions made by the government in the time immediately after president Hage Geingob’s death leave a lot to be desired.

“It has just been months since his unfortunate demise and this government’s commitment to press freedom is clearly on the wane, considering the great lengths the Ministry of Information and Communication Technology has gone to muzzle New Era’s principled voice through a hare-brained proposed merger with Nampa,” the message reads.

Beukes said New Era’s board decision to cancel the appeal against a “colourful” High Court defamation decision would have a lasting negative impact on the entire media sector.

The case he is referring to is that of a senior police officer winning a defamation lawsuit against the state-owned newspaper in the Windhoek High Court.

In a judgement delivered in June, judge Orben Sibeya ordered NEPC and New Era to pay Namibian Police commissioner Andreas Nelumbu N$50 000 after finding that defamatory allegations against Nelumbu had been published in an edition of New Era in September 2022.

“What is more troubling, however, is that the skill set on the current board would not allow them to recognise when they make a vacuous decision,” he said.

Beukes went on to urge the minister of justice, Yvonne Dausab, to make public the findings of the investigation that discovered 34% of magistrates who qualify for appointment to the High Court.

He expressed his fears about the worsening state of media freedom and expression, and the intolerance for “grassroots, especially minority voices and the public interest” in Namibia.

Beukes did not disclose the reason for his abrupt departure from the paper, and said the details of his mutual separation agreement and his departure would remain private.

“For the record, I did not resign, but agreed with the company to part ways amicably,” he said.