Watchdog wants true public broadcaster

THE Namibian chapter of the Media Institute of Southern Africa (Misa) says the Namibia Broadcasting Corporation (NBC) should be transformed into a public broadcaster.

The organisation’s latest call follows an accusation that comments made by two journalists, Tileni Mongudhi and Toivo Ndjebele, were reportedly censored. Mongudhi claimed that he had remarked during the recording of the show ‘The week that was’ that ‘the NBC is not Albertus Aochamub’, the NBC Director General, but that it is a ‘national broadcaster’.Ndjebele was reportedly equally scathing in his criticism of the manner in which Aochamub unilaterally decided to ban singer Lady May from the airwaves. Both Aochamub and the executive producer of the show, Maria Indongo-Nepaya, denied that the two were censored. Misa Namibia national director Marbeline Mwashekele said it was to avoid such incidents that the NBC should be transformed from a State broadcaster to a public broadcaster that is fully independent in all editorial and operational matters, thus eliminating any possible interference with editorial content. ‘Editorial independence means the right of journalists and editors to make decisions on the basis of professional criteria, and run with that without any outside interference. In fact, according to the African Charter on Broadcasting, all editorial policy and decision-making in all broadcasting institutions should be free from interference by government or the governing board,’ said Mwashekele. She said free media are essential for the provision of information and knowledge upon which informed democratic participation and good governance depend. ‘Journalists must be able to practise their profession without fear or favour. They must move freely to collect facts and views, to disseminate news, to demand accountability from those in office, and to protect their sources. In turn, journalists must exercise the highest ethical and professional standards and conduct themselves in accordance with general ethical principles.’