SECTOR 1 Scores: Individual scores: 1 Country does not meet indicator 2 Country meets only a few aspects of indicator 3 Country meets some aspects of indicator 4 Country meets most aspects of indicator 5 Country meets all aspects of the indicator Average score: Score of previous years: ✓ ✓ ✓✓ ✓ ✓ ✓✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ 3.5 2005: 3.4; 2007: 3.3; 2009: 3.1; 2011: 2.9; 2015: 2.8 1.2 The right to freedom of expression is practised and citizens, including journalists, are asserting their rights without fear The right to freedom of expression is practised to a large extent by both citizens and journalists, but not without some level of fear or repercussion. With regards to citizens, the right to freedom of expression is practised to its fullest extent on platforms that provide for anonymity, including the Short Message Service (SMS) platforms popular in The Namibian and other newspapers (wherein readers may text their views to the newspaper and have these published on a dedicated page in the paper) and on radio call-in programmes. ‘The SMS platform is great, but it is anonymously done. Anonymity is a major issue in the practise of this right.’ ‘For the most part, comparatively, citizens have the ability to phone in on certain programmes and to be critical. They have platforms to be able to express themselves freely. Citizens who are not in the employ of government practise without fear more so than those in government. And the higher one is in government, the more fear he or she has, because there is more to lose.’ Panellists noted the example of Dr Joseph Diescho – an outspoken academic and former director of the Namibian Institute of Public Administration and Management. Diescho was dismissed from his role seemingly for his critiques of government. ‘The regime did not like this. The accusation is clear and the issue is still in court (three years later) as a labour matter. This sends the message that “If I say something, I might not be promoted.”’ The tendency for those in government to self-restrict their right to freedom of expression has its roots at the party level. ‘Freedom of expression is supposed to be an enabling right. The SWAPO1 Party amending its constitution to disallow 1 9 The South-West Africa People’s Organisation and officially known as the SWAPO Party of Namibia, is a political party and former independence movement in Namibia. It has been the governing party in Namibia since the country achieved independence in 1990. Source – Wikipedia. AFRICAN MEDIA BAROMETER NAMIBIA 2018