NBC calls for calm on the airwaves

THE Namibian Broadcasting Corporation (NBC), which has been caught in the crossfire as Swapo leader Sam Nujoma and ex-combatants trade verbal blows, yesterday appealed to people taking part in its call-in programmes to show more discretion.

The plea follows criticism of the national broadcaster for allowing supporters of Swapo president Sam Nujoma and those of the ‘Committee on Welfare of Ex-Combatants’ to battle it out over the airwaves. Swapo Party members from the Khomas Region marched to the party’s regional office in Windhoek on Saturday to deliver a petition attacking the media, especially the NBC, accusing it of “allowing” Nujoma to be “publicly insulted”.Likewise, supporters of President Nujoma have come under attack for making derogatory remarks about the ex-combatants’ group.”During the better part of the last 12 weeks, the NBC has witnessed a wave of rather abusive discussions on the telephone lines of the various radio services,” NBC Director General Bob Kandetu said in a statement yesterday.”These have become a source of concern to the NBC and to the many listeners on these programmes who find themselves treated to a litany of mutual abuse by some members of the public who for some reason cannot find one another,” he said.”The NBC wishes to appeal to those who participate in these public programmes and thereby contribute to the necessary public debate on issues of national importance to exercise their freedom of expression with wholesome discretion and maximum integrity,” Kandetu emphasised.The NBC statement steered away from mentioning the ex-combatants’ issue.The ‘Committee on Welfare of Ex-Combatants’ has also commented on the issue of Swapo supporters petitioning against the media, saying that this only showed the strength of its support.”The NBC is not only for one person, and it’s not just us Swapo members who pay (television) licences.It’s not our company, it’s a national broadcasting corporation.And let’s not forget that it was we as Swapo who brought up this (national) constitution which guarantees the right to freedom of expression,” committee spokesperson Alex Kamwi said during an interview with The Namibian yesterday.Swapo Party members from the Khomas Region marched to the party’s regional office in Windhoek on Saturday to deliver a petition attacking the media, especially the NBC, accusing it of “allowing” Nujoma to be “publicly insulted”.Likewise, supporters of President Nujoma have come under attack for making derogatory remarks about the ex-combatants’ group.”During the better part of the last 12 weeks, the NBC has witnessed a wave of rather abusive discussions on the telephone lines of the various radio services,” NBC Director General Bob Kandetu said in a statement yesterday. “These have become a source of concern to the NBC and to the many listeners on these programmes who find themselves treated to a litany of mutual abuse by some members of the public who for some reason cannot find one another,” he said.”The NBC wishes to appeal to those who participate in these public programmes and thereby contribute to the necessary public debate on issues of national importance to exercise their freedom of expression with wholesome discretion and maximum integrity,” Kandetu emphasised.The NBC statement steered away from mentioning the ex-combatants’ issue.The ‘Committee on Welfare of Ex-Combatants’ has also commented on the issue of Swapo supporters petitioning against the media, saying that this only showed the strength of its support.”The NBC is not only for one person, and it’s not just us Swapo members who pay (television) licences.It’s not our company, it’s a national broadcasting corporation.And let’s not forget that it was we as Swapo who brought up this (national) constitution which guarantees the right to freedom of expression,” committee spokesperson Alex Kamwi said during an interview with The Namibian yesterday.