Media guilty of causing African self-hate: Ithana

MEDIA in African countries have an agenda to ‘always portray Africa in a bad light and to demonise African leaders whose views they don’t like,’ Justice Minster Pendukeni Iivula-Ithana said in Parliament on Thursday.

In her contribution to the budget debate, the Minister criticised Namibian media for allegedly not publishing articles or photos of the violent demonstrations during the recent G20 summit in London.Had the demonstrations taken place in Africa, this news would have been splashed in media across the globe, she charged.’Why is it that media in our countries are eager to expose and blow out of proportion whatever is happening in Africa, but circumspect when it comes to actual happenings in certain European countries and in North America?’These media representatives have an agenda to always portray Africa in a bad light and whoever Africans recognises as their role model on the continent is immediately targeted for slander through media and certain foreign-funded organisations,’ the Justice Minister said.Iivula-Ithana told the House that so far only leaders from Third World countries have been charged with crimes against humanity in the International Criminal Court (ICC). ‘How many atrocities should a leader of the developed world commit before being brought before the ICC? How many innocent civilians should have died in Iraq, Afghanistan and Palestine before someone is indicted for such crimes – what is the ICC waiting for?’ the Justice Minister asked.’We need a total new mind shift and the media should play this catalytic role of building respect for Africa and its people.’World peace cannot be maintained when the arrogance of power and double standards have become the mode of operation in the place of international law. All nationals should abide by the rules of international law for peaceful coexistence,’ she said.