Namibia
•

Increased competition, which drives development.

•

Journalists who report without fear or favour.

•

The judiciary, which has helped to protect the rights of the
media.

•

Young people making use of improved technology to create
new publications and disseminate information.

•

The National Society for Human Rights has been very active
in terms of freedom of expression and human rights. Increasingly, MISA Namibia should be taking the lead in this
regard.

•

Informanté - for having “shaken things up”.

•

Civil society, with regard to the public outcry that led to the
NBC ‘Chat Show’ being reinstated.

Some of the possible obstacles for further positive change
•

While President Pohamba promises a new climate of openness and inclusiveness, in reality the Minister of Information
and Broadcasting Nandi-Ndaitwah, possibly as a result of
her also holding the position of Secretary-General for Information in the ruling SWAPO, appears to hamper developments within the media by sitting on reports, policy development and legislation.

•

Stagnation in the country’s politics and policy decisions may
be a result of a schism within SWAPO, broadly comprising
one faction led by Pohamba with his deliberately inclusive
approach, and the other by more hard-line former presi-

56

African Media Barometer - Namibia 2007

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