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Friday, February 8, 2008 - Web posted at 6:56:49 GMT Lift ban against The Namibian: Swanu STAFF REPORTERAN opposition party has called on Government to lift its seven-year old advertising and purchasing ban on The Namibian newspaper, calling it a "stupid ban." |
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"Lift the stupid ban on The Namibian because it simply shows that we are a nation that does not tolerate criticism, as well as (not) understanding the role that this newspaper played during the hard struggle for Independence," demanded Usutuaije Maamberua, the new President of SWANU. "If we believe that we are solid in our conviction, The Namibian newspaper or the Windhoek Observer do not stand a chance to overthrow this government," Maamberua said in a statement on Wednesday. Called the 'state of the nation address', which touched on several topics and was distributed to the media, Swanu said that the "the state does not belong to any individual (political) party" and the present Government should rule the country on that basis. "The concept of a 'Swapo-led Government' is archaic and does not have any meaning in a democratic state where civil rights imply self-governance at all levels," Maamberua noted. Last month, The Namibian again made a bid for a tender to place advertisements of the Tender Board in a daily newspaper. "Cabinet decisions on banned newspapers and agencies shall have bearing on this tender," the conditions and specifications of the tender document spelt out once again. Despite the restrictive tender conditions, The Namibian has submitted its bid for the tender. These conditions appear to contravene the new Competition Act, which has not come into force yet although it was passed three years ago due to the fact that the competition regulations have not been finalised yet. Government decided to ban advertising in The Namibian at a Cabinet meeting in December 2000 and a number of Government departments were reminded in March 2001 of the need to follow the decision. A Government circular was then issued which stated that the Cabinet decision "compels Government ministries, offices and agencies to refrain from advertising in The Namibian newspaper because of its anti-government stance and unwarranted criticism of government policies." The advertising ban was then extended to cover the purchase of the newspaper. Once again Government ministries were instructed not purchase the newspaper with Government funds. The ruling Swapo party joined the Government's 2001 advertising and purchasing ban on The Namibian, because of the newspaper's alleged hostile attitude towards government. President Hifikepunye Pohamba, who was at that time Swapo Secretary General soon joined the chorus with further directives to effect the Government ban. "The Secretary General of Swapo Party hereby directs all party regional co-ordinators as well as party functionaries at the district, branch and section levels not to advertise in or procure The Namibian newspaper with party funds," wrote Pohamba. He added that Swapo supported the Government decision not to advertise in or purchase The Namibian with "public money under its (Government's) care." Despite several senior Government officials openly saying that the ban was outdated, President Hifikepunye Pohamba has not rescinded the ban imposed by his predecessor, former President Sam Nujoma. Last year, former Swapo lawmaker Hidipo Hamutenya wrote in an opinion piece published in The Namibian that the ban was wrong and that he regretted supporting it at the time. In 2004, another Swapo lawmaker Nangolo Mbumba attempted to get Cabinet to lift the ban on The Namibian, but this too was unsuccessful. Various organisations, including the Media Institute of Southern African (MISA), requested the lifting of the ban over the years, but the appeals have fallen on deaf ears. |
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