It is a joint venture between our government and the government of Zimbabwe.

The main aim is, apparently, to objectively report about Africa from an African perspective.

It is all well that ends well.

However I am a bit worried that this 'African perspective' may be used to lead to the persecution of Africans by their own leaders.

During the launch of this weekly newspaper, as reported on NBC, it was claimed that European media paint Africa as a continent of wars, hunger, ethnic conflicts and hopelessness.

Well, none of the Africans are happy with this picture.

But then what will this newspaper report about?

Will it not report about the ethnic conflicts in Africa that are running faster than our development initiatives?

Will this newspaper not report about African leaders who stash away large amounts of money into bank accounts in Europe for economic benefits of the European people since the people of the countries in which these accounts are held have easy access to capital for both human and capital developments in their countries?

If this is what they plan to do (not report on these retrogressive acts), then is this not tantamount to African persecution rather than objectively reporting from an African perspective?

I know that it is true that the European media are full of stories that paint Africa as a 'dark continent,' but this should be looked as a challenge to African leaders to create and shape an Africa that has the potential of becoming the 'emerging jewel' of the 21st century.

One of the real threats to Africa today is not European media, but hypocritical African leaders who preach how evil the imperialists are while at the same time they are throwing the African money right into the mouths of imperialists by opening fat bank accounts in Europe.

If we try to establish media that are protective of incompetent and corrupt leaders, then we cannot claim to be doing that on behalf of the African continent and its people, since we ordinary Africans are not prepared to languish in destitution in the shades of economic shabbiness and political malfunctioning.

Dear fellow Africans , the time has come for us to kiss good-bye the doctrines of 'I am the greatest' and 'if you are not with me ideologically, you are not African' and instead embrace the opportunities that come with ideological, political, racial and ethnic tolerance.

Here I am trying to point out the possible pitfalls that the media such as Southern Times may bring to Africa.

This can happen if it starts to paint Africa as an 'all-in-one paradise' while it falls short of condemning the evils committed to our people against our own people.

D Uuyuni waKamati
Katutura

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