Mallex Shipanga
The Namibia Media Professionals Union (Nampu), Namibia Media Trust (NMT), and Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung Africa (FesMedia) hosted a Human Rights Day event on December 11, themed “Our Rights, Our Future, Right Now.”
The gathering held on Wednesday, brought together human rights activists, journalists, and policymakers to reflect on Namibia’s human rights challenges, focusing on media freedom and freedom of expression.
The chief advocate of the office of the Ombudsman, Ingrid Husselmann, addressed attendees and focussed on the intersection of human rights and social justice.
“Our constitution enshrines these principles of equality, non-discrimination, and freedom. But is that a reality? Inequality of representation is a fact of everyday life whether it is in politics, in the media, or access to resources. Social justice really demands that we address these disparities, not just in theory or in principle but in action,” Husselmann said.
The media ombudsman, John Nakuta commented on the nation’s global standing in terms of human rights.
“One can say without a doubt that when it comes to the enjoyment of civil and political rights in the country, Namibia is among the top in the world. However, when it comes to economic, social and cultural rights, especially economic and social rights, we are lacking. The levels of poverty, the levels of unemployment, and the levels of inequality are putting a big, big damper on our human rights record,” Nakuta said.
NMT director Zoé Titus stressed the importance of media freedom and freedom of expression in Namibia
“Namibians take media freedom and their right to freedom of expression very seriously. When a journalist is attacked or there is a perception of political interference, it becomes a national issue. The right to freedom of expression and the right to a free and independent media is something that is of great importance to Namibians,” Titus said.
Nampu’s general secretary, Jemima Beukes raised concerns about the dire working conditions of journalists, including unpaid salaries and poor welfare.
“Journalists don’t have the luxury to think about policies when they are underpaid, when they are violated, when they are arrested, and when they don’t have to taxi money. Journalists come to press conferences because they haven’t had food last night. Journalists at times have to walk. All because they haven’t been paid for two or three months,” Beukes said.
The event also featured the launch of “The Digital Closet: Experiences of hate speech in virtual environments among Namibia’s LGBT+ community”.
The Digital Closet is a study conducted by NMT and the Namibia Diverse Women’s Association (NDWA), examining the impact of hate speech targeting the nation’s LGBT+ community online to explore how platforms of free expression have transformed into platforms of injustice.
