ADULT entertainment lovers might be in for a treat soon, should MultiChoice launch a pornography channel on DStv.
This comes after the pay-TV provider was ‘inundated with requests to provide adult content on DStv’. Following this public interest, the company embarked upon ‘research to establish the extent of the interest and the feasibility of introducing such a service’.However, MultiChoice Namibia spokesperson Claudia Blohm maintains that ‘a final decision has not yet been made on whether we will introduce an adult content service’.Referring to a statement by the company’s headquarters in South Africa, Blohm said research into viewers’ preferences is conducted on an ongoing basis.There is a lengthy process of research and testing that is followed prior to any new service being launched.’The shocked Minister of Gender Equality and Child Welfare, Marlene Mungunda, was short of breath when The Namibian approached her for comment. ‘No, no, no! I am totally against that. I can’t tolerate that. It will just put our children in bigger danger.’ According to Mungunda, this would contribute to gender-based violence, drug abuse, the further escalation of HIV-AIDS and add fuel to the teenage pregnancy fire. ‘Some girls can contract HIV-AIDS by practising what they are seeing. It is an evil on its own. It can even go up to prostitution. It is too dangerous.’The ruling party has a controlling stake in MultiChoice Namibia through Kalahari Holdings.Civil society organisations have also come out strongly against the possibility of bringing adult entertainment into the country’s living rooms.Reverend Maria Kapere, General Secretary of the Council of Churches in Namibia (CCN), said a porn channel would be ‘really bad’ for Namibia – especially for the youth. ‘I think one already sees the social degradation of our young people and such channels would just worsen the situation.’According to her, Namibians are ‘still very conservative’ and the majority of the country’s residents would oppose this initiative. Moreover, Kapere said, she is concerned about the fact that parents might have their hands full, trying to prevent their children from watching porn. ‘I think it is not advisable. We have seen how those channels have corrupted the minds [of people living] in countries where this has been introduced.’Clive Willemse, chairman of the Khomasdal Community Trust, said he is ‘definitely not’ in favour of an adult entertainment channel. ‘Personally for me, the youth are already facing so many challenges. And those [pornographic] images will be stuck in their minds. What you see and what you hear will surely impact your behaviour. They will start meditating on those visuals. I don’t think it’s a good idea.’
