STATE OF PRESS FREEDOM IN SOUTHERN AFRICA REPORT 2021 48 IMPACT OF COVID-19 The Namibia Professionals Union (NAMPU) has been playing a prominent role in protecting the rights of journalists, especially pertaining to welfare issues, which have become more pronounced in the COVID-19 era. A number of journalists have been made redundant while others go for months without being paid as media companies struggle for survival. In 2021, more than 600 workers at NBC downed their tools, demanding a salary increment and they received support from NAMPU and the International Federation of Journalists. (5) Academic Admire Mare pointed out that while Namibia was faring much better than other Southern African countries, underpayment of journalists was a huge threat to the country’s media freedoms. SURVEILLANCE AND PRIVACY OF ONLINE COMMUNICATION Namibia’s Communications Act of 2009 provides for interception of communications by establishing a centre that is charged with combating crime and protecting national security. The law explicitly gives the centre powers to “do anything necessary in order to perform the interception or monitoring concerned) as well as any decoding or decryption necessary to make the information in question intelligible.” There are always lingering fears of State-sponsored routine surveillance of journalists and civil society by the Central Intelligence Services. Lack of a cybercrime and data protection legislation has also left journalists, especially female media workers, vulnerable to abuse online by subjects of their stories. INDEPENDENT CONTENT PRODUCERS Namibia’s independent continent producers received a major lift in 2021 when they partnered the privately-owned One Africa TV to bring local content to its viewers. The broadcaster introduced a number of local shows that are produced by Namibian content producers. One Africa TV director and content executive Taleni Shimholipeni was quoted at the time saying: “Since 2016, we have increased our locally produced shows from two percent to 40 percent.” (6) One Africa TV recently partnered with seven external, independent local producers and is broadcasting seven newly produced Namibian shows. Independent local producers are also able to sell their productions to the State-owned NBC.