Nampa serves role of protecting ‘national interest’, says Angula

MINISTER of Higher Education, Training and Employment Creation Nahas Angula has come out in support of amendments to the Namibian Press Agency (Nampa) Act.

Angula told the National Assembly on Tuesday that there was a need to convey local stories from a Namibian perspective to the international world. Angula said the Government-funded agency had a special role to play considering that Namibia was being “bombarded with propaganda” from around the world.He wanted to know whether Nampa was selling local stories to major international news agencies, claiming that often stories about Namibia were misconstrued when told by other sources.The Minister cited as an example a South African report on land expropriation in Namibia, which he had viewed recently.”The version I heard was not the same version as was told in parliament,” he said.Noting that Nampa found itself in an unfavourable financial position, he nonetheless urged Information and Broadcasting Minister Nangolo Mbumba to consider pumping more money into the agency.”If Nampa is not properly resourced it will not be able to tell our story so people can hear the other side of the story.As a country we are misunderstood or misinterpreted,” Angula repeated.The agency registered losses of nearly N$2 million during the 2003-04 financial year.Angula said amendments to the Act that would allow the agency to become more business oriented should be viewed as “protecting the national interests of Namibia”.”From the financial statements the picture is not that good but the potential is there for Nampa to build up and disseminate information,” said Angula.”We should empower Nampa to do their job and sell our country to the outside world.”Angula said the Government-funded agency had a special role to play considering that Namibia was being “bombarded with propaganda” from around the world.He wanted to know whether Nampa was selling local stories to major international news agencies, claiming that often stories about Namibia were misconstrued when told by other sources.The Minister cited as an example a South African report on land expropriation in Namibia, which he had viewed recently.”The version I heard was not the same version as was told in parliament,” he said.Noting that Nampa found itself in an unfavourable financial position, he nonetheless urged Information and Broadcasting Minister Nangolo Mbumba to consider pumping more money into the agency.”If Nampa is not properly resourced it will not be able to tell our story so people can hear the other side of the story.As a country we are misunderstood or misinterpreted,” Angula repeated.The agency registered losses of nearly N$2 million during the 2003-04 financial year.Angula said amendments to the Act that would allow the agency to become more business oriented should be viewed as “protecting the national interests of Namibia”.”From the financial statements the picture is not that good but the potential is there for Nampa to build up and disseminate information,” said Angula.”We should empower Nampa to do their job and sell our country to the outside world.”