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 **  *****  *****    ***           COMMUNIQUE # 4 - 27
 **  **     **      ** **          10 July 1995
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International Freedom of Expression eXchange Clearing House
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SOUTHERN AFRICA

NAMIBIA: MISA URGES CARE AFTER NBC DISMISSALS

On 29 June, the recently-appointed Board of the Namibian
Broadcasting Corporation (NBC) dismissed "the two most powerful
men in the NBC," writes Lucienne Fild in the 30 June edition of
"The Namibian". According to Fild, the dismissal of NBC
Director-General Nahum Gorelick and Senior Controller: Human
Resources Tulinane Emvula followed weeks of speculation over the
future of the NBC's senior management. Although it refrained from
drawing conclusions on the circumstances and impact of the
decision, the Media Institute of Southern Africa (MISA),
disturbed by recent government interference in the editorial
autonomy of the NBC, urged care in the replacement of the two
managers.

On 8 June, a representative from the office of President Sam
Nujoma entered the NBC newsroom and ordered that unedited footage
of a presidential press conference with South African President
Nelson Mandela be played in full on the evening television news.
Gorelick was said to have denounced the incident, saying "there
was a critical danger of the NBC becoming a state propaganda
tool," quoted "The Namibian". According to MISA, the board has to
date failed to comment on the interference of State House staff
in editorial policy. MISA also expressed concern at statements
made in June by presidential Special Advisor on National Security
Peter Tshirumbu. Tshirumbu, bothered by media reports on Namibian
Security Intelligence Agency (NSIA) activities, urged media
workers to "share" information with the NSIA, by revealing
sources for example.

These recent incidents have highlighted the difficulties for
public broadcasters in reconciling state control with editorial
independence. After Namibian independence in 1990, the NBC was
created out of the state-controlled South West African
Broadcasting Corporation. The Namibian government made efforts
early on to grant autonomy to the newly-formed public
broadcaster, but, since December's general elections which
returned the ruling party to power with an increased majority,
there has seemed to be a concerted effort by the government to
reign in the NBC, said MISA.

The MISA chapter in Namibia, the Journalists Association of
Namibia, urged the Board of the NBC to base its decision on who
will replace the two managers on media freedom criteria and on
the NBC's need for editorial independence. MISA-Namibia also
called on the NBC Board to state in public that it is committed
to media freedom and the editorial independence of the NBC.

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