Journalist and The Whistle Namibia founder Jemima Beukes was escorted out of State House in Windhoek on Monday morning.
This was after she asked president Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah a question regarding concerns that her family is moving into controlling the oil industry.
Beukes was attending the opening of the first Cabinet meeting of the year.
The journalist says on her official social media that she asked the president whether she could pose a question.
“She said no. I asked it anyway. The question was: ‘There are concerns that your family is moving into controlling the country’s oil industry.’ Immediately after, I was escorted away. A phone belonging to a colleague, which I had used to record the officers manhandling me, was confiscated. I was escorted out of State House. Officers took photos of my car and threatened me with arrest for asking a question after the president had said no,” Beukes says.
The president had said questions should be directed to the Cabinet secretary.
“We are in the Cabinet. I’m not doing a press conference. When they say president, you know I like the media. I’m a friend, but I know the facts,” the president says.
