The Editors’ Forum of Namibia says the exclusion of journalists from president Hage Geingob’s Covid-19 media briefing on Friday last week was against an agreement reached between the forum and the government two months ago.
In the notification about last week’s briefing sent by the Presidency to the media, journalists were asked not to attend the event, but to stream it online instead.
As a result, the media did not attend the briefing.
Seemingly unaware of what was stated in the Presidency’s notice, Geingob asked his media team twice why no media representatives were present.
“Are there no questions? Where are they, or are they satisfied? Why are they not here, or is it by consensus?” Geingob asked.
In an open letter to Geingob on Tuesday, the chairperson of the forum, Frank Steffen, said the media fraternity was incensed at the president’s comments, and that the request for journalists not to attend was unfair.
“We adhered to the request that was made, directly flying in the face of what was agreed with the press secretary in the Presidency, Dr Alfredo Hengari, and the minister of information and communication technology, Peya Mushelenga, two months ago.”
According to Steffen, he suggested a standard operating procedure for media events during the Covid-19 pandemic to Mushelenga at a meeting on 20 July.
He said a document which Mushelenga was comfortable with was produced after he had approached Hengari and had discussions with the information minister. The document lays out a procedure on how media events can be conducted to ensure a fair representation of both private and state media organisations at events.
“It is thus that the Editors’ Forum of Namibia seriously had to question the commitment of the president’s office, in honouring a suggested procedure that was agreed to in principle after consultation with those very offices,” Steffen said.
He added that any agreement between the forum and the government would remain subject to the government’s willingness to actually commit.
“In conclusion, the Editors’ Forum of Namibia would prefer to have a fairer procedure in place, to accommodate the Namibian media in a fair manner,” Steffen said.
