🚀 go-pugleaf

------- Forwarded Message Follows -------
Date:          Wed, 20 Dec 95 17:16:34 -0500 (EST)
From:          ifex@web.apc.org (Clearing House)
To:            africaactions@web.apc.org, allactions@web.apc.org
Subject:       Namibia alert

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International Freedom of Expression eXchange Clearing House
________________________________________________________________
Date: 20 December 1995

NAMIBIA: MP calls on Ministry to "investigate" radio station

ORIGINATOR: Media Institute of Southern Africa (MISA), Windhoek

     **For background, see IFEX alerts as noted in text**

According to a report in the 15 December 1995 edition of "The
Namibian", Marten Kapewasha, Deputy Minister of Youth and Sport
and Member of Parliament (MP) for the ruling South West African
People's Organisation (SWAPO) party, called on the Ministry of
Information to "investigate" the privately-owned Radio 99. During
a debate in Parliament, Kapewasha reportedly said that Radio 99
did not contribute to nation-building, as its programmes were
only full of music. "It (Radio 99) is there to undermine the
government and the national service," Kapewasha is quoted as
saying.

When asked by MISA to explain his remarks, Kapewasha refused. "I
won't explain and I have the right to remain silent," said
Kapewasha. Directors of Radio 99 also refused to comment on the
issue, saying that they were "investigating the matter."

Meanwhile on 5 December, Stephen Adei, the United Nations
Development Program (UNDP) representative to Namibia, accused
journalists of trying to "destroy" their country, when he was
asked for details of development aid pledges made to the Namibian
government at a conference of donors organised by the UNDP.

BACKGROUND:
According to MISA, officials and politicians appear to be growing
increasingly intolerant of the media in Namibia. In September
1994, Minister of Finance Helmut Angula, who was then Fisheries
Minister, called in police to investigate the "theft" of a report
on seal culling which was leaked to the media. Angula said it was
his intention to "flush out... moles... presumably planted by the
press," as media freedom had to "abide by the laws" (see IFEX
alerts dated 2 September and 24 August 1994). In May 1995, Prime
Minister Hage Geingob accused the media of "waging a war of
disinformation" against the government (see IFEX alert of 14 June
1995). In June, the President's Special Advisor on State
Security, Peter Tshirumbu, said it was a journalist's "patriotic
duty" to provide his intelligence agents with information. His
remarks followed an incident in which state security agents
approached journalists for information about the formation of a
new political party (see IFEX alert dated 23 June 1995).

For further information, contact David Lush at MISA, Private Bag
13386, Windhoek, Namibia, tel:+264 61 232975, fax:+264 61 248016,
e-mail: dlush@ingrid.misa.org.na

The information contained in this alert is the sole
responsibility of its originator.
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________________________________________________________
Bruce Girard                 PULSAR: IMPULSO INFORMATIVO
Email: bgirard@pulsar.org.ec
Tel: +(593-2) 525-521    Fax: +(593-2) 542-818
Avenida America 3584, Casilla 17-01-1171, Quito, Ecuador