Information Minister ‘did not withdraw’ from show

INFORMATION Minister Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah says she did not withdraw from Monday night’s ‘Talk of the Nation’ show on NBC television.

The topic was the proposed establishment of a Government-controlled media council in Namibia. Ndaitwah said she had received an invitation to participate but never confirmed her participation.In fact, she said, she informed the NBC through her Director of Media Affairs that “the time had not come” to discuss the issue in public.She said the Ministry would seek public input once there was a working document.”In any case no one is opposing the idea of a media council, even the media in Namibia have been working on it, albeit without success.I am aware of the sensitivity of the matter and as the Government has done in the past on other issues, wider consultations will take place before the council is established,” she said.She said the Government would never do anything outside the Constitution.Ndaitwah announced recently that Cabinet had decided that Government would establish a media council, a move which has been roundly opposed by the media.Media organisations feel Government deliberately failed to co-operate with a previous media council chaired by the late Judge Kenneth Bethune, which later collapsed.Another attempt by media organisations to revive the media council with the help of retired Judge Bryan O’Linn also failed because Government-owned media refused to be part of it.The third attempt was the appointment of a Media Ombudsman, but Fanuel Tjingaete resigned after two years because he did not receive any complaints and saw no reason for the position.Ndaitwah said she had received an invitation to participate but never confirmed her participation.In fact, she said, she informed the NBC through her Director of Media Affairs that “the time had not come” to discuss the issue in public.She said the Ministry would seek public input once there was a working document.”In any case no one is opposing the idea of a media council, even the media in Namibia have been working on it, albeit without success.I am aware of the sensitivity of the matter and as the Government has done in the past on other issues, wider consultations will take place before the council is established,” she said.She said the Government would never do anything outside the Constitution.Ndaitwah announced recently that Cabinet had decided that Government would establish a media council, a move which has been roundly opposed by the media.Media organisations feel Government deliberately failed to co-operate with a previous media council chaired by the late Judge Kenneth Bethune, which later collapsed.Another attempt by media organisations to revive the media council with the help of retired Judge Bryan O’Linn also failed because Government-owned media refused to be part of it.The third attempt was the appointment of a Media Ombudsman, but Fanuel Tjingaete resigned after two years because he did not receive any complaints and saw no reason for the position.