Geingob on Friday warned journalists in the country to report nothing but the truth or face action from Government, a statement which has added to media concerns about Swapo's talk of establishing a government-backed media council.

The Namibian yesterday quoted Geingob as saying, "I am telling (Windhoek Observer editor Hannes) Smith and others, you have written and written too much all this nonsense against the Government and the truth, but the Government has stood firm about you, not arresting or touching you.

Despite that some reporters have written many things against the Government, have put them in opposition with the Government, no single one of those Namibian journalists have been arrested or prevented to write".

In a statement issued yesterday, Misa's Namibian chapter stressed a point the organisation had made earlier, namely that it had no problem with the establishment of a media council, but did not support the idea of one backed by Government.

Doing so, said Misa National Director Mathew Haikali, would in fact be in contravention of the Declaration of Principles on Freedom of Expression in Africa by the African Commission on Human and People's Rights.

This declaration, he said, stipulates that any regulatory body established to hear complaints about media content, including media councils, shall be protected against political, economic or any other undue interference.

Haikali named a number of other documents, which he said clearly rejected government involvement in the running of a media council.

He specifically named the Draft Information Policy, the Windhoek Declaration on Promoting a Free and Independent Pluralistic African Press, the SADC Protocol on Culture, Information and Sport, the African Charter on broadcasting "with specific reference to public service broadcasters", the Windhoek Declaration and Namibia's Constitution, which make provision for freedom of speech and expression, including the freedom of the press and other media.

Misa further called on Government to encourage the creation of a self-regulatory mechanism for the Namibian media without its interference.

Haikali maintained that Misa Namibia had been at the forefront in the formation of a media mediator or media council.

"This is a process that will not happen overnight, and therefore there is a need for continuous engagement with various stakeholders," Haikali said.

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