Patience Makwele
Information and communication technology Minister Emma Theofelus has urged government institutions to communicate with one voice, saying Namibians do not experience government as separate ministries and agencies but as one state.
Theofelus made the remarks on Wednesday at NIPAM in Windhoek during the launch of the Harmonised Government Communication Strategy 2026–2030, the Government Corporate Brand Identity Manual and the Government Communicators Forum of Namibia.
She said her experience as government spokesperson showed how citizens view the state.
“I can tell you as government spokesperson, I get all the questions under the sun,” Theofelus said, citing questions ranging from the Ministry of Mines to the police and the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC).
“Because for them, the government is whoever is representing the state.”
She said this perception requires the government to communicate beyond institutional boundaries.
“We must communicate as one government, with one voice, in service of only one nation,” she said.
The minister also warned that government communication carries significant influence because citizens act on information issued by the state.
“We wield an immense amount of power,” she said, stressing that information provided to the public must be authentic, verified and credible.
Her remarks come as the government acknowledges weaknesses in the way its institutions communicate with the public.
Linda Nakale, MICT executive director, identified fragmented messaging, slow responses to public queries and uneven digital engagement as some of the gaps the new communication strategy is intended to address.
“We have to make sure that we coordinate our work,” Nakale said.
Johanna Kambala, manager for stakeholder relations at the Central Procurement Board of Namibia, was more blunt about the problem.
“We are working in silos. This ministry is doing their own thing and the other public entities doing their own thing,” she said.
The Government Communicators Forum of Namibia is intended to address that fragmentation by creating a permanent professional network for communicators across government offices, ministries, agencies, public enterprises, regional councils and local authorities.
Kambala said the forum would support professional development, knowledge sharing, crisis communication and collaboration between institutions, including allowing communicators to seek advice from one another during fast-moving situations.
The need for faster coordination has been heightened by a 24-hour news cycle and social media, where information can spread before government institutions complete their internal approval processes.
Nakale said delays could leave a vacuum that is filled by others.
“If we don’t communicate timely, if we are not responsive, then the media would write its own narrative. But the information is with us,” she said.
According to Nakale, MICT conducts daily media monitoring and identifies coverage requiring a government response, with institutions expected to address such issues.
Nakale also urged government offices to keep websites updated, publish statements promptly and strengthen their social media presence.
The communication overhaul also comes as the government grapples with the growing use of artificial intelligence.
Theofelus warned that AI can accelerate the spread of misinformation, fabricated images and false narratives, making verification and professional judgement increasingly important.
“We must never surrender our judgment to AI,” she said.
She urged government communicators to embrace technology while remaining “guardians of truth” and “strategists of trust”.
The Harmonised Government Communication Strategy and Corporate Brand Identity Manual were approved by Cabinet in March 2026.
The corporate identity manual sets common requirements for government branding, including the use of national symbols, colours, typography, stationery, vehicles, publications and digital platforms.
Cabinet directed government offices and institutions to comply, with MICT responsible for overseeing implementation.
The Access to Information law also places greater pressure on government institutions to provide information when required, Nakale said.
Meanwhile, the communicators forum is expected to move from its interim implementation committee to an inaugural general assembly and elections, with membership applications due by 30 September.
Theofelus said the ultimate measure of the new communication framework would be whether citizens know what the government is doing, understand why it matters and trust the information they receive.
