Four decades of ‘telling it like it is’

The Namibian celebrated its 40th anniversary on Friday.

The mood was lively, with a sense of shared achievement among staff, alumni and media students.
The celebrations took place at The Namibian’s Windhoek office.

Highlights included the unveiling of a mural and the planting of a commemorative tree, symbols of the newspaper’s deep roots and resilience in Namibia’s media landscape.

Founding member and retired Supreme Court of Namibia judge justice Dave Smuts helped Gwen Lister in establishing The Namibian in 1985.

He recalled the difficult and harsh legal environment the newspaper had to navigate in its early days.

“I remember saying to Gwen after the newspaper had been running for three months, ‘This is a real deal, you lasted three months’,” he says.

Smuts went on and established the Legal Assistance Centre in 1988 to fight human rights injustices.

He said he believes it is important to look back on the paper’s early years, not out of nostalgia but to understand how far the media landscape has come.

He said the paper may be different now because there are constitutional rights where media freedom is protected unlike the past.
“Back then, media freedom was not protected. Today, we have constitutional rights,” he said.

The Namibian’s founder, Lister, reflected on the paper’s beginnings and the obstacles it overcame, including bomb attacks.

“To ‘tell it like it is’ became our motto, which turned out to be a winning option. Years later, we are still telling it as it is.

There is so much to remember, but it is mainly an opportunity to pay tribute to all those who made it possible, both past and present,” Lister said.

When the paper was started, the Council of Churches of Namibia and the Namibia National Students Organisation supported and protected the paper.

“Churches had a measure of protection, they were untouchable and were always there to back up all our stories,” Lister said.

She said the paper’s first slogan before independence was “bringing Africa South” and its role was to continue supporting the self determination of Namibians to exercise their rights.

According to Lister, many saw it as a Swapo paper at the time, which she said was never the case and never would be.

“That was because of our coverage and because the apartheid regime fed into it to discredit the paper,” she said.

In 1994, the advertising community and the public’s attitude towards the paper changed and it started doing well in its revenues.

Lister later appointed Tangeni Amupadhi as and editor.

She expressed gratitude to past and current staff for always keeping the paper running, and the Namibian people for making the paper what it is today.

What stood out most on the 40th anniversary was the sense of history surrounding the event, including archival displays, reminding attendees of the newspaper’s enduring role in the country.

Former journalist and now Institute for Public Policy Research executive director Graham Hopwood praised the newspaper’s impact on Namibian democracy.

“I have continued to support the newspaper over the years, and it has always stood out from other media houses in the country. I just hope it continues for the next 40 years and that we continue to develop that culture,” he said.

Amupadhi, deputy editor Shinoveni Immanuel, news editor Ester Mbathera, chief operating officer Mark Kissler, entertainment editor Otto Gotlieb and other colleagues mingled with guests, sharing stories of their work.

Residents and friends of the newspaper praised its commitment to truth and independence.

“The Namibian has always told the truth, even when it was difficult. I trust it more than any other newspaper,” says Windhoek resident Ruben Muthigona.

“Seeing how far The Namibian has come makes me believe that we, as young media students, can continue this legacy of honesty and courage,” University of Namibia media student Alfonzo Katjimbari adds.

Future Media Namibia donated cakes towards the celebration, which also saw the reprint of the first edition of the paper that cost 50 cents at the time.

In an age of information overload, Sunrise is The Namibian’s morning briefing, delivered at 6h00 from Monday to Friday. It offers a curated rundown of the most important stories from the past 24 hours – occasionally with a light, witty touch. It’s an essential way to stay informed. Subscribe and join our newsletter community.