Africa, the region’s political and economic giant, struggles to manage its national broadcaster, the South Africa Broadcasting Corporation (SABC). Many governments are prepared to dismiss any criticism as politically motivated and the real role of the media as a watchdog on centres of power is regarded grudgingly. Citizens of southern Africa, however, want jobs; health facilities; empowering information; policies that enhance their ability to communicate; policies that develop information communication technologies (ICTs) in education and health, among others. None of these can be divorced from the political will to consult, and the media cannot be excluded from the process of consultation. The media provides a platform for governments and citizens to reach one another. The above citizens’ wish list cannot be separated from governance issues that impact on how national resources are spent; how officials are appointed; and how corruption is dealt with, for example. In the long run, media that is non-critical does not assist the people on the ground and is not beneficial to the country as a whole. Governments in southern Africa, therefore, need to change from being paternalistic to having a more interactive, consultative and engagement role. They need to accept and tolerate a critical media, and they need to develop the same media for the good of socio-economic and political development, not out of benevolence. As such, the media in southern Africa in 2008 has faced many of the same issues and challenges as in previous years. Newspapers have been closed in Tanzania. There have been more arrests, beatings and threats in Zimbabwe and Swaziland and more spasms of hope in Zambia with President Rupiah Banda openly expressing support for self-regulation and media law reform. In Swaziland, the process of opening the airwaves remains in limbo. Nevertheless, the struggle must go on. Media organisations such as the Media Institute of Southern Africa (MISA) and others should make an effort to engage governments more often. Capacity around media development is not only a challenge for media organisations and civic society, but for policymakers as well. Efforts, therefore, must be made to create platforms of engagement with governments in the region. Civic society also needs to be engaged more by the media. The cholera epidemic that has killed thousands in Zimbabwe demonstrated how the availability of information could mean the difference between life and death. In Tanzania, the media has landed senior government and political figures in prison for corruption. It seems that we need more, not less, of the media. Medias da África Austral em 2008: A maioria, apela a capacitação institucional dos governos - Rashweat Mukundu Um jornalista Namibio ao serviço da One TV network a única estação televisiva independente da Namíbia, colocou o que pareceria ser uma pergunta simples numa entrevista realizada em Novembro de 2008. A pergunta genérica foi porque razão não há nenhum apoio político para o desenvolvimento dos media na África Austral. Isto representou um momento de reflexão, incidindo sobre a capacidade e a habilidade dos governos dos Estados membros da África Austral de participarem no desenvolvimento dos media para o melhor. O desenvolvimento dos media está intrinsecamente ligado aos governos porque os media precisam de um ambiente favorável para empreenderem os seus esforços e os governos, como fazedores de política, devem prever isso. Os esforços que visam melhorar os media na região tem sido rotulada directa ou indirectamente como anti-governamentais. Isto é assim porque a crítica aos governos na região é tida como de natureza política e antigovernamental. Dificilmente a crítica é assumida no espírito do empenho construtivo. Entretanto, se reconhece que várias conquistas registam-se desde a declaração de Windhoek So This Is Democracy? 2008 -5- Media Institute of Southern Africa