Katrina lashes out at media

HARDAP Governor Katrina Hanse-Himarwa yesterday slammed the media, claiming “the country’s media have become a joke for only reporting on street fights instead of concentrating on development stories”.

Responding to a recent article ‘Hardap Governor in a brawl’ in The Namibian, she said the time had come to put the record straight on media reports, which she claimed were aimed at “defamation” against her. “Journalists choose to lower the quality of their newspapers to nothing less than tabloids based on sensation, instead of reporting on worthy and valuable happenings in the country,” Hanse-Himarwa charged at a media briefing held at her home in Mariental.In the article it was reported that the Governor was involved in a brawl at the Aimablaagte residential area of Mariental two weeks ago.It involved Hanse-Himarwa and a women whose name is not known to The Namibian.In an earlier interview, an eyewitness, Mariental resident Aletha Kooper, said things got ugly when Hanse-Himarwa entered a room where food for her sister’s wedding was being prepared.”Food was strewn all over the room after she [Hanse-Himarwa] pushed it off the tables while plates were flying in the air as she threw them at the woman,” Kooper said.”When her husband tried to restrain her, she pushed him onto the ground where he landed on his backside,” Kooper added.At yesterday’s media conference, Hanse-Himarwa tried to brush off the allegations.However, she conceded that there were “heated moments” between the bride’s and groom’s families during the wedding preparations, in which she and her husband took part.”This normally happens with all traditional Nama weddings, because each family also has individual guests visiting parental homes,” she said.”The Namibian’s Luqman Cloete and Die Republikein’s Jan Poolman got it all wrong, because there is even no plot in their story.As a matter of fact, contrary to the allegations, at no point was my behaviour unbecoming or unprofessional, no food was strewn around the banquet hall or family house, at no point was my husband floored [pushed over] by anyone, except for two small side-plates that accidentally fell out of the hands of one of my sisters,” she maintained.She accused The Namibian’s reporter of disliking her for personal reasons.”My only worry is that he hails from the Vaalgras area, having been raised by the late Osokop Basson [the reporter’s father] and he is mostly seen in the presence of relatives of Mr Leonard Stephanus, one of the two staff members of the Hardap Regional Council who are currently on suspension,” Hanse-Himarwa remarked.Taking a swipe at the Republikein’s reporter Jan Poolman, she claimed the reporter was hell-bent on ending her political career.”With regard to Mr Jan Poolman, it is no secret that literate Namibians can no longer be fooled by how tirelessly he tries to twist any situation to portray me in bad light,” she said angrily.Hanse-Himarwa claimed that she had been the victim of media character assassination for the past four years.When asked why she had only now decided to denounce media reports following the article in The Namibian, she answered that the time had finally come to respond to the media reports.”Journalists choose to lower the quality of their newspapers to nothing less than tabloids based on sensation, instead of reporting on worthy and valuable happenings in the country,” Hanse-Himarwa charged at a media briefing held at her home in Mariental.In the article it was reported that the Governor was involved in a brawl at the Aimablaagte residential area of Mariental two weeks ago.It involved Hanse-Himarwa and a women whose name is not known to The Namibian.In an earlier interview, an eyewitness, Mariental resident Aletha Kooper, said things got ugly when Hanse-Himarwa entered a room where food for her sister’s wedding was being prepared.”Food was strewn all over the room after she [Hanse-Himarwa] pushed it off the tables while plates were flying in the air as she threw them at the woman,” Kooper said.”When her husband tried to restrain her, she pushed him onto the ground where he landed on his backside,” Kooper added.At yesterday’s media conference, Hanse-Himarwa tried to brush off the allegations.However, she conceded that there were “heated moments” between the bride’s and groom’s families during the wedding preparations, in which she and her husband took part.”This normally happens with all traditional Nama weddings, because each family also has individual guests visiting parental homes,” she said.”The Namibian’s Luqman Cloete and Die Republikein’s Jan Poolman got it all wrong, because there is even no plot in their story.As a matter of fact, contrary to the allegations, at no point was my behaviour unbecoming or unprofessional, no food was strewn around the banquet hall or family house, at no point was my husband floored [pushed over] by anyone, except for two small side-plates that accidentally fell out of the hands of one of my sisters,” she maintained.She accused The Namibian’s reporter of disliking her for personal reasons.”My only worry is that he hails from the Vaalgras area, having been raised by the late Osokop Basson [the reporter’s father] and he is mostly seen in the presence of relatives of Mr Leonard Stephanus, one of the two staff members of the Hardap Regional Council who are currently on suspension,” Hanse-Himarwa remarked.Taking a swipe at the Republikein’s reporter Jan Poolman, she claimed the reporter was hell-bent on ending her political career.”With regard to Mr Jan Poolman, it is no secret that literate Namibians can no longer be fooled by how tirelessly he tries to twist any situation to portray me in bad light,” she said angrily.Hanse-Himarwa claimed that she had been the victim of media character assassination for the past four years.When asked why she had only now decided to denounce media reports following the article in The Namibian, she answered that the time had finally come to respond to the media reports.