Concerned About Anonymity

MY understanding is that the main reason why a person would write an anonymous letter is when the intention is to report something and yet not get involved either through conflict of interest etc. The reason can be that you would be seen as crossing your boss, or merely because it might be better addressed if seen to be raised from outside the organisation.

But what I see nowadays is that most newspapers carry anonymous letters that are mostly pseudo writers of a certain human rights organisation based in Windhoek. What are they afraid of, if I may ask? I want to know this because much of what they write is political and not building Namibia. I therefore want to request your editor, if possible, that you ask us letter writers to your newspaper to provide their phone numbers where to be contacted as well as pictures so that we are brave enough to stand by what we are writing especially when it is overboard. That is not to suggest that anonymous letters are not needed but it should of course be the discretion of the editor to decide, what and what not to publish at the end of the day. What I am proposing is aimed at curbing abuse by unscrupulous people who want to score cheap political points as elections come closer.Albertina MungandjeraSPYL Regional SecretaryOmusati RegionNote: Hi Albertina, your letter raises a very important point around anonymity. I would personally prefer that letter writers do not conceal their identity, and that everyone is ‘brave’ enough to stand by their opinions publicly. However, there are complexities. Whistle-blowers about corruption, for example, would be reluctant to have their names published for all and sundry, particularly if their jobs will be on the line as a result. Our main proviso is that, especially in case of controversial letters, names and addresses are provided even if a pseudonym is required. At least then we can check with the writer on things that may be defamatory and/or unclear etc. Too many people though, request anonymity when all they are doing is exercising their opinion in terms of fairly innocuous subjects, and politics is one of them, which may serve to show that despite our Bill of Rights, people do not feel free to exercise their opinions under their own names. This is sad. Where possible, in such cases, I try to make contact with writers to request them to consider their names on the letters, and some agree and some don’t. We do not however, reveal their identities when anonymity is requested to anyone else. That having been said, there are various groups (and not only the human rights organisation!) writing letters in clearly co-ordinated campaigns. I am aware of most of the names, and exercise due caution when it comes to publication, giving preference to individuals with viewpoints. I can also add we give preference to letters only send to our newspaper (ie some writers sent their opinions to all the newspapers, and we do prefer originality) and plain party politicking (ie letters urging people to vote for one party or another) rather than discussion of issues around this subject, is avoided. – Ed