Ministry of Information and Broadcasting
Introduction
From the onset, the government recognised the need for an effective national communication system to promote the trilateral objectives of nation building, reconstruction and development. Therefore, immediately after Namibia became independent, it established the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting to produce, disseminate and facilitate the free flow of information to empower the Namibian people to participate in nation building and development.
The Ministry of Information and Broadcasting comprises Directorate Print Media and Regional Offices, Directorate Audiovisual Media, the Namibian Communications Commission, Division General Service and Division Media Liaison. The Namibia Press Agency (Nampa) and the New Era Publications Corporations are in the process of becoming parastatals.
The Namibian Broadcasting Corporation (NBC) is an autonomous broadcaster with the objective to inform, educate and entertain the people of Namibia through television and radio broadcasts in the English, the official language, and the other popular Namibian languages.
The Office of the Minister is in charge of the overall policy framework and the linking of the ministry to the executive and legislative arms of state. It consists of the minister as the political head, assisted by his deputy and five administrative support staff. In 1999, the ministry was allocated N$119 243 000 or 1.54% of the national budget. Of this amount, N$18 243 000 was for capital projects. Of the total budget allocated to the ministry 78% goes to the parastatals under its control.
The permanent secretary is the accounting officer. He reports directly to the minister and is responsible for the implementation of policies, regulations and decisions through the various directorates and divisions.
The Division General Services is responsible for expenditure control for the day to day running of ministerial operations and revenue control. This division also provides administrative support services on matters, such as, accounting, personnel, organisational affairs, logistics, stores and equipment, transport services, and secretarial and other auxiliary services.
The division consists of four subdivisions, namely, finance, personnel services, auxiliary services and ministerial support services. The Subdivision Finance has three sections and two subsections. The Subdivision Auxiliary Services consists of three sections.
This division was created to improve the free flow of information between the government and civil society and to live up to the true spirit of Article 21(1)(a) of the Constitution, which provides for freedom of speech and expression and freedom of the press and other media. The main function of the division is to serve as the link between government and the media and to promote mutual understanding between the government and local and foreign media.
The division is tasked with the responsibility of gathering and dissemination of news and information emanating from all government institutions to local and foreign media, foreign missions in Namibia and the public.
The division resorts under the Division General Services for budgetary purposes but reports directly to the permanent secretary. A deputy director who is assisted by two information officers and a typist heads the division. To prepare for the challenges of the twenty-first century, the division is in the process of appointing a control information officer, a systems analyst and a web author.
The Directorate Print Media and Regional Offices is charged with the production of printed material and collection, processing and dissemination of information on government policies and initiatives through printed media and through its library and regional offices. One of its key objectives is to plan and execute national information campaigns and publish printed material, including a monthly magazine, Namibia Review that provides information on government policy and developmental issues. This magazine is distributed widely within and outside Namibia.
The directorate also collects and processes photographic material for its own publications and exhibitions, prepares and mount exhibitions on government, its policies and development programmes. Every few years, its photographic material is deposited with the National Archives of Namibia as a record of events in the history of the young nation. In addition, the directorate collects printed and other information material on Namibia produced by other government ministries and offices and various organisations and disseminates such material through its library and regional offices.
The directorate consists of a Division Publications with a Subdivision Support Services and a Division Regional Offices, consisting of ten regional offices and one sub regional office. The Division Publications has been plagued by a huge turnover of journalists, forsaking the public sector for more lucrative opportunities in the private sector in other fields of employment. The directorate currently has a staff complement of fifty-four at its head office in Windhoek and at regional offices.
Directorate Audiovisual Media and Namibia Communications Commission
The main function of the Directorate Audiovisual Media and Namibia Communications Commission (NCC) is to produce and disseminate audiovisual material on the government, its policies, its programmes and actions to educate and entertain the public, especially in areas where the NBC cannot reach. Another function of the directorate is to promote Namibia as a film location and to oversee and promote the protection of intellectual property in Namibia.
NCC, which was established in terms of the Namibia Communications Commission Act, Act 4 of 1992, is tasked with the licensing of telecommunications equipment and frequency management on a national level.
The directorate consists of five divisions, namely, Audiovisual, Film Development, Copyright Services, Control of Obscene Material, and the Namibian Communications Commission.
The Namibia Press Agency (Nampa) was established by the Namibia Press Agency Act, Act 3 of 1992, to collect local, regional, and international news and feature articles through own reporters, correspondents, and stringers, and through exchange with other national and international news agencies. The Act established Nampa as a parastatal body. The Act also stipulates that Nampa’s affairs would be run by a Board of Directors appointed by the Minister of Information and Broadcasting.
Nampa distributes such material to subscribers against payment either in the form of subscription fees or news exchange or other terms as may be agreed upon. In it’s reporting Nampa aims to present objective and impartial information on any matter of public, national or international interest within and outside Namibia. Through its regional offices, Nampa involves Namibian people in rural areas in the mainstream of the flow of news and information in the country and thereby encourages their participation in national decision-making. Nampa has a staff complement of forty-five persons.
The agency’s organisational structure consists of three main divisions, namely, the Editorial Division with news, features, sports and business desks, a photographic section, and regional offices. They provide most of Nampa’s local news service. The Communications and System Services Division is responsible for the technical communication services for processing and distributing Nampa services to clients. It consists of two subdivisions, Maintenance and Development, and a Division Support Services, which renders secretarial, client, accounting and transport services.
The New Era was established by the New Era Publications Corporation Act, Act 1 of 1992 to provide objective and factual news, to promote and analyse government development programmes and polices, and to educate the nation about various social, economic and political issues.
It has a staff of twenty-nine persons. Structure of this organization will, however, change once the newspaper becomes a fully-fledged parastatal.
The Namibian Broadcasting Corporation (NBC) was legislated into an autonomous national broadcaster by the Namibian Broadcasting Act, Act 9 of 1991. As a parastatal body, it is a legal person, independent of state-structures. As a product of an Act of Parliament, the Namibian Broadcasting Corporation is in a strictly technical sense 'owned' by the Namibian parliament as “a trustee” on behalf of the citizens of Namibia. However, as the NBC is a recipient of public funds in the form of an annual state subsidy and for purposes of accountability, the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting tables and accounts for NBC's budget in the parliament. A director-general, who reports to the NBC Board, heads the NBC. The NBC Board is appointed by the Minister of Information and Broadcasting for a period of five years. Its primary responsibilities include policy formulation and management guidance. The director-general has a statutory obligation to oversee the day to day running of the organisation. It employs 525 permanent employees.
In 1999/2000, NBC received N$70 046 000 of the ministry’s total budget allocation
Achievements
Prior to independence, the majority of the population was deprived of news and information in an attempt to keep them silenced on matters pertaining to their well-being. As the bedrock of democracy is education and information, the ministry, soon after the country became independent, drafted the Namibian Information Policy. This policy recognises that the nurturing of democracy requires constant and free flow of news and information. It requires freedom of speech, freedom of expression and a free and virile media to stimulate debate on national, regional and world issues and to empower Namibians to participate meaningfully in nation building; for, only informed citizens can make informed decisions. The National Information Policy acknowledges the important role of the media in nation building and development and lays down genial principles about the place and the role of the mass media in our society. In tandem with the Constitution, the policy allows for a pattern of mixed ownership of the mass media. Despite sporadic outcries that the freedom of the media is under threat, Namibia has a free press to fulfil its role as watchdog of society.
The Office of the Attorney General, together with the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, is in the process of drafting a Freedom of Information Bill.
A high priority after independence was to make radio and television services accessible to the majority of the people. As a first step, private radio and television stations were allowed to operate in Namibia. Namibia now boasts nine private television stations and seven private radio stations with several additional applications waiting processing.
The Constitution of the Republic of Namibia, and relevant statutes, such as, the Namibian Broadcasting Act (Act 9, 1991), and the Namibia Communications Commission Act (Act 4, 1992), have set the parameters and defined the contours of a regulatory framework which embraces pluralism in broadcasting.
To further strengthen free flow of information, the ministry strengthened its production and media liaison capacities to ensure good relations with local and foreign media. The Division Media Liaison has established good working relationship with the print and electronic media and with training institutions to provide training in journalism. In 1996, Cabinet approved the recommendation that all government institutions be obliged to nominate contact persons in their institutions to serve as a link between the institutions and the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting. This process is now being taken further.
Further, in 1996, when Cabinet tasked the ministry to assume the responsibility of co-ordination of government media liaison, the division introduced a system whereby newspaper reports pertaining to different government institutions are referred to such institutions daily for immediate reaction. Referrals are followed up by telephone calls.
All media practitioners have to be accredited with the Division Media Liaison and have to renew their accreditation annually with the consent of their editors. Freelance journalists have to submit a letter of appointment from any publication to which it provides articles or photographs. In 1996, the division introduced new measures to curb misuse and fraud with media cards and no reports of misuse, abuse or fraudulent use have been received since 1997.
The ministry also assists foreign journalists to obtain the necessary permission and documentation to visit Namibia. Journalists visiting to cover current issues are given permission upon their arrival in the country. Journalists are also provided whatever information they need, and appointments are arranged them to enable them to have a balanced picture of the situation in the country. During state and official visits, briefing documents are compiled for local and foreign journalists highlighting existing co-operation between countries and possible other areas of co-operation. Such briefings also contain information on the programme, arrangements, and background information of the countries involved. These briefings also assist the Minister of Information and Broadcasting, as government spokesperson, to chair media conferences at the conclusion of such visits. Official photo albums are compiled for all state and official visits.
The ministry introduced the calendar of weekly events in 1996. The purpose of the calendar is to inform the media and the public in general of government events taking place in the following week. The calendar is distributed every Friday afternoon.
In 1997, the ministry published for the fist time, a directory of addresses and an annual calendar of events in 1998, including national days, cultural events and international observances. This exercise could not be continued because of the shortage of professional staff.
The division represents the ministry in the SADC Sector for Culture, Information and Sport and is the SADC media co-ordinator for Namibia. The division feeds the media on the meetings of the Sector for Culture, Information and Sport, the Council of Ministers’ meetings and the Summits. The country is acknowledged as one of the SADC member states that pro-actively promotes the objectives and aims of SADC through the local media and plays a leading role in SADC Day celebrations on August 17 each year.
Publications
Imbued in the spirit of the National Information Policy, the ministry is committed to making information available to the people through its own productions and publications. Within a month after the adoption of the Constitution of the Republic of Namibia on February 9, 1990, the ministry published 10 000 copies of the constitution in an A5 format and distributed them free of charge to diplomats, leaders and people throughout the country. The ministry regularly reprints this important document and sells it at a quarter of the printing costs (N$2.40) to ensure that it is within reach of all Namibians.
The first issue of the ministry’s flagship magazine, Namibia Review, appeared in March 1992. Although operating with a bare minimum of staff, the magazine is in its eighth year of publication.
Besides its own original research materials, Namibia Review makes considerable use of official reports, studies, policy papers and memoranda, which provide useful statistical data and insights into the government’s thinking on a variety of problems.
The ministry has also published various leaflets, posters, and brochures and held exhibitions on a wide variety of topics. One of its first publications, Namibia Challenging the Future, was produced on the eve of the United Nations sponsored donor conference in New York in 1990. It also printed a poster, Know Your Region, after the demarcation of Namibia into thirteen regions in 1992. This poster was updated before the December 1998 Regional and Local Authority elections to include the new boundaries of regions and constituencies. The posters were distributed to schools, clinics and other institutions and organisations.
In 1998, the division was involved with the Office of the Prime Minister in the design of the Public Service Charter in various formats. It further assisted the Ministry of Labour to design a guidebook for labour inspectors.
Audiovisual Productions
At independence, the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting had a U-matic low band and VHS editing facility. This was upgraded to broadcasting format in 1991 and later extended with the assistance of the Government of the United States of America through its contribution to the Humanitarian Demining and Mine Awareness Programme. In 1994/95, Directorate Audiovisual Media bought two mobile audiovisual vans equipped with camera, monitor, playback machine, public address system, video projector and generator. These vans have travelled thousands of kilometres in its coverage of events and showing videos to people not within reach of NBC television broadcasts. In 1998 a third mobile van was donated by UNFPA through the Population IEC Programme. In 199, under the national development project to establish fully equipped audiovisual information centres throughout the country, the ministry installed a VHS studio at a cost of about N$ 200,000 at Oshakati in the Oshana region. The ministry also bought a public address system at a total cost of N$996 000 for major international events, such as, independence celebrations. Previously such equipment was hired from South Africa at exorbitant costs.
The directorate produces an average of five major productions and twenty smaller productions a year. Most of the videos are on topical events, and the rest are done on request of other ministries about their line functions and in co-operation with non-governmental organisations. Besides promotional videos for other ministries, the videos cover a wide range of productions, such as, reproductive health, population and gender issues, environment and sustainable development, culture, voters’ education, demining and mine awareness.
Among its productions are voters’ education videos on the 1992, 1994 and 1998 elections, a historical documentary on the reintegration of Walvis Bay, and a documentary on the adoption of Namibia’s Constitution. It has also produced videos on cultural heritage, cultural festivals, inheritance rights, the Uis small miners, deployment of ex-combatants, mine awareness, rural water supply, drought and resettlement.
The ministry has started an ambitious project to establish video libraries for young people under sponsorship from UNESCO. In the first phase, about six centres would be selected where young people would be able to watch cultural programs. Windhoek will be the main centre, which will supply other centres with videos.
The ministry, local artists and filmmakers have worked together to draft a Film Commission Bill, which will soon be tabled in parliament. An interesting aspect of the bill is the establishment of a film fund. If approved by parliament, the fund will assist aspiring Namibians filmmakers with studies or productions. Indeed, lack of funds has been the biggest problems hampering the development of a local film industry.
The NBC launched a Young Directors Choice series and the on going co-production of a Namibian film with a local independent production house Home Brew Productions This initiative is funded by NBC, UNESCO and the French Mission of Co-operation.
Namibia is also a popular country with international filmmakers. From 1991, it has attracted 377 crews consisting of about 1000 people in total. This included three feature films, namely Red Scorpion, Desert Rose and Hoofbeats.
As the institution designated to ensure the protection of the intellectual property of Namibians, the ministry drafted the new copyright legislation. The ministry is currently revising this Act to include computer programmes, rental rights, terms of protection, limitations and exceptions and protection of performers, producers of sound recordings and broadcasters. The revision will bring the Act in line with the TRIPS Agreement. In addition, Namibia signed two new treaties in the field of copyright and related rights, the World Intellectual Property Organisation (WIPO) Performance and Phonograms Treaty (WPPT) and the WIPO Copyright Treaty (WCT). Further, in March 1999, Namibia hosted a regional copyright symposium for African countries. Sponsored jointly by WIPO and the ministry, the symposium was aimed at promoting adherence to the WCT and WPPT.
A total of eighty-three newspapers, magazines and newsletters have registered with the ministry since 1990. These include the major newspapers, such as, the Allgemeine Zeitung, The Namibian, the New Era, the Republikein 2000, the Windhoek Observer and a plethora of promotional and company newsletters.
Cognisant of the fact that the ongoing information and communication revolution is leading to increasing globalisation of economic and social activity, the ministry initiated the adoption by Cabinet of the African Information Society Initiative (AISI) in line with the adoption of and implementation thereof by the Twenty-second Conference of Ministers of the Economic Commission for Africa.
The building of Africa’s Information Society is intended to accelerate its development plans, stimulate growth and provide new opportunities in education, health care, employment creation and food security. Following this, the ministry initiated a National Information and Communications Infrastructure (NICI) strategy workshop for Namibia. The workshop made recommendations for the implementation of the NICI strategy for Namibia and the recommendations were submitted to and adopted by Cabinet in 1998. The ministry aims to pursue the recommendations which provide for the establishment of an equitable, sustainable and internationally competitive information society in Namibia in the foreseeable future.
In October 1998, the ministries of Information and Broadcasting and Works, Transport and Communications signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP). In terms of this Memorandum of Understanding, UNDP will provide financial, technical and training assistance to the ministry for putting in place its Internet initiative.
Cabinet already approved the establishment of a government intranet system whereby the central authority in Windhoek will be linked to all 13 regions. With the implementation of the government’s Internet services, the ministry shall seek to establish a TCP/IP wide area network to all regions. This will allow the ministry to disseminate timely and accurate information on government programmes and projects to remote parts of Namibia and give disadvantaged learners in rural areas access to electronic communication.
In 1995, Namibia became active in electronic publishing through the worldwide web with Namibia Online, the homepage of the government of Namibia on the Internet. We are pleased that the American Online International Channel chose this website for inclusion in their forum. During the period of January 3 to 9, 1999 over 17840 people worldwide visited this site for an average of 8.24 minutes each. Namibia Online can be accessed on the worldwide web at http://www.republicofnamibia.com.
Due to the astronomical cost in contracting Cablevision in France, which had developed and maintained Namibia Online, the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting has embarked on capacity building to take over this function.
The ministry developed a Telecommunications Policy and Regulatory Framework for Namibia with the assistance of the Swedish International Development. Cabinet adopted this document at its second meeting of 1999 and the legislation process is due to start with the assistance of the Botswana-based Regional Telecommunications Restructuring Programme (RTRP).
Namibia is a member of the International Telecommunications Union (ITU), the Telecommunication Regulatory Authority (ITU-R) and other regional organisations.
The Secretariat of the Namibia Communications Commission is responsible for the regulation of the telecommunications and postal sectors and for the allocation of frequencies and radio and television licenses. It controls the frequency spectrum and licensing of telecommunications equipment. In the 1998/1999 financial year, NCC issued 5623 licenses and derived an income of N$3 790 647 from this function. To ensure that Namibia is in line with regional and international trends in telecommunications tariffs, NCC is now revising its tariff structure.
In the first phase of establishing a national spectrum monitoring system, NCC bought a mobile electronic system that allows it to monitor VHF, UHF and HF. It is used by NCC, the Ministry of Defence, the Ministry of Home Affairs (Police), the Office of the President (Namibia Central Intelligence Service) and the Ministry of Works Transport and Communication (Civil Aviation). In the second stage, the NCC is establishing fixed nation-wide frequency monitoring stations for Windhoek, Walvis Bay and Oshakati. The triangular HF monitoring facility can be used for regional and international monitoring. By better control of the radio frequency spectrum interfering signals can be traced.
The Secretariat has installed and linked a computer frequency management system by local area network to ensure proper co-ordination, billing and training. Next year, NCC will focus on strengthening its human resources.
The ministry has been a lead player in civic education campaigns on various issues including on voters’ education, gender, population, health and international expositions in which Namibia participates.
As the lead agency for the Namibian government/UNFPA Information Education and Communication project, the ministry, through its Directorate Audiovisual Media, has arranged twelve seminars on reproductive health in seven regions, involving 380 youth and 60 government officials on population issues. A major achievement was the development of a Population Information, Education and Communication Strategy by the ministry under sponsorship of UNFPA. Among the films produced under this programme are Ni kamuso kua swana, about a UNFPA workshop on environmental and sustainable development, Dengwa u lungame, a drama on population and reproductive health, and the feature Kasiku, a victim of love.
In July 1996, the ministry, under the sponsorship of the United States Embassy, launched a multisectoral national Multimedia Campaign on Violence against Women and Children. The multimedia campaign is aimed at increasing awareness of violence against women and children in order to bring the crimes to the fore and to reduce violence, increasing support systems for survivors, and influencing law reform and better law enforcement practises.
The most important outcome of the campaign was the strengthened networking among stakeholders and increased public debate and understanding of the issues involved. For instance, a workshop on the new rape bill saw people from the legal fraternity, police, health, media, social welfare, community groups and shelters working together to provide input to a Parliamentary Committee.
Higher reporting of cases of abuse is another important outcome. According to the Police spokesperson and figures provided by Lifeline/Childline, reporting increased dramatically after the broadcasting of a television or radio advertisement of the multimedia campaign on the issue. Even men have started reporting abuse by spouses to Lifeline. A further outcome is the heavier sentences meted out by the courts.
A highlight was the production of the 60-minute drama, A Trust Betrayed, made jointly by the Directorate Audiovisual Media and AfriNature Films. The ministry and the United States Embassy, under its Human Rights Fund, jointly sponsored the production costs. The video, posters, pamphlets and a photographic exhibition were also featured at the SADC Conference on Violence against Women and Children in South Africa. The video was also shown at other fora in Morocco and Mauritius.
Monthly advertorials, consisting of an advertisement and text on specific aspects surrounding violence against women and children were published in The Namibian, the New Era and the Republikein 2000. These were sponsored by the US Embassy.
The ministry as chair of the Publicity Subcommittee of Expo ’98 was also a major partner in the preparations for Namibia’s participation in Expo ’98 in Lisbon from May to September 1998. It designed and printed competition forms, certificates, invitations and other pamphlets to many events, including the National Namibia Expo ’98 Cookery Competition and edited, designed and published the Namibia Expo ’98 Fish and Seafood Cookbook.
In 1992, the ministry together with the ministries of Defence and Home Affairs launched an intensive campaign to make people aware of the dangers of landmines and other unexploded ordnance which littered especially the northern parts of the country. In 1994 the government of the United States of America, through its Humanitarian Demining Programme, sponsored the development of mine awareness material to distribute in the affected areas. In the first phase, it assisted the ministry’s audiovisual and publication personnel with the development of product material and donated computers and audiovisual equipment worth N$1.5 million to the ministry. In the second phase ten people from the ministries of Defence, Home Affairs and Information and Broadcasting were trained on the development of product material.
In 1999, the ministry declared that it would take a leading role in strengthening the national information campaign on HIV/AIDS. After a UNICEF sponsored meeting with media practitioners, a task force was established to spearhead the new National Multimedia Campaign on HIV/AIDS awareness. The ministry and NBC are working with other media organisations, health workers, international agencies and concerned groups to develop this campaign.
With the excellent co-operation of the media, the ministry raised awareness of other national issues through media releases, organised visits, newspaper supplements, television and radio talk shows and background articles. Some of the issues that were promoted regularly over the past ten years include publicity on Constitution Day (9 February), United Nations Day (24 October), independence celebrations, and Media Freedom Day (3 May).
The ministry actively participated in arrangements for the Second Southern Africa International Dialogue on Smart Partnership for the Generation of Wealth in Southern Africa (SAID) held in Swakopmund in July and the 1998 World Food Day celebrations.
At several international and regional conferences in Namibia, the ministry successfully established media centres and serviced local, regional and international media practitioners. These include different SADC meetings, the SADC/EU meeting and the SADC Council of Ministers meeting in 1997, SAID, and other national and ministerial meetings.
Administration
At the administrative level, the ministry streamlined personnel functions with a zero tolerance when it comes to the implementation of the rules and regulations. In-service training and workshops were provided on new rules and regulations. This helped supervisors to take informative decisions when it comes to personnel matters. Human resources planning improved in such a way that all the relevant role players are involved. As a result, the ministry managed to change its structure to cater for the changing needs of the various directorates and divisions. A training section was established to introduce a training policy for the ministry and to cater for staff development since ministries are responsible for their own capacity building.
With the implementation of the new Information Technology Policy for the Namibian Public Service, an Information Technology Division was established to render computer related services. Three new computers were purchased for the Division Personnel Services, which will link the personnel office with the new Human Resources Information Technology System at the office of the Prime Minister and later with the salary section.
The provision and control of transport matters improved significantly with fewer kilometres travelled due to stricter measures being put in place through kilometre limitations. These control measures resulted in fewer accidents being reported during the past two years. Another factor that attributed to the effective and efficient control of the government fleet in the care of the ministry.
Human resources development and professional training remains a high priority in the ministry. Besides management, financial and administrative training, the ministry had successfully cooperated with international and local agencies to train journalists in various aspects of media work.
The Division Media Liaison, in co-operation with Bricks and the NDI and with the blessing of the Office of the Prime Minister embarked on a training programme for government liaison officers in 1998. In 1998, training courses for liaison officers plus an evaluation session with permanent secretaries and media editors took place. The 1998 training was followed up with training in Internet and electronic mail in 1999, again sponsored by Bricks and the NDI. In October 1999 permanent secretaries received training on how to interact the media.
Under sponsorship from the Institute for the Advancement of Journalism in South Africa and the Nordic-SADC Journalism Centre in Mozambique, journalists from all regions have undergone training in specified media areas.
The directorate Audiovisual Media also invested in training for its team of producers and camerapersons. In 1994, UNESCO sponsored an intensive two-week on site training course which resulted in the production The Spirit of Tsandi. In July 1996, three experts from the South African Communication Service conducted a training programme in Windhoek.
However, despite these efforts, and perhaps because of them, the ministry continues to have a high turnover of staff who after a few months in the job and a few training courses leave for more lucrative jobs in other sectors. The status of government liaison officers, media officers and information officers should be reviewed.
Namibia Press Agency
Since 1990, the Namibia Press Agency (Nampa) has striven to establish itself as a credible national news agency by providing comprehensive, objective, accurate and timely news service to the Namibian people and the international community through regional and international news exchange.
In accordance with the Namibia Press Agency Act 3 of 1992, the agency was to be a commercialised parastatal, but it is still dependent on the ministry for its resources. This transformation will hopefully be completed by mid-2000. Presently Nampa receives foreign news and pictures from news agencies like Reuters, Sapa/Afp/Ap, Pana, Antara of Indonesia and the Press Trust of India (PTI) via satellite and email. Journalists at strategically placed regional offices in Namibia send local news to the Nampa communication network by dial-up facilities.
Nampa distributes news to local and international clients. Its local clients include NBC, The Namibian, the New Era, the Rebublikein 2000, the Algemeine Zeitung, Radio Kudu, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, NSIA and Iafrica. This distribution is done through dedicated leased lines via Telecom Namibia and can be received on computer or printer.
The foreign clients are Pana, Antara, PTI and the American Embassy in Swaziland. Regional and continental distribution to African news agencies is done through the Pan African News Agency (Pana) which feeds the continental news agencies with Nampa copy. News to foreign clients mentioned is presently sent via email. A Nampa domain was recently registered and its services will soon be available on the Nampa web page.
Apart from Windhoek where the head office is situated, Nampa has regional bureaux in Gobabis, Grootfontein, Katima Mulilo, Keetmanshoop, Oshakati, Rundu, and Swakopmund. The regional bureaux are computerised and are linked to the head office.
When Nampa started operating in 1990, it had only five trained journalists. The main task thus was to train journalists from the many school leavers who had then applied for employment. This task was successfully completed and Nampa can boast to have trained over thirty journalists countrywide. Other media organisations in Namibia, government institutions, parastatals and non-governmental organisations now employ some in senior positions.
The New Era started as a weekly newspaper in 1991 and became a biweekly in July 1996. Results of a readership survey conducted during October and December 1996 by Media Research Africa, a South African-based company, revealed that the New Era was the most widely read newspaper in Namibia. The New Era is also reaching previously neglected communities.
Although sales are still relatively low, there has been steady growth in the circulation of the newspaper. In some regions, such as, Caprivi, sales exceeded that of other newspapers. Advertising has likewise recorded a healthy growth, maintaining an average advertising loading of between 45% and 50%.
Among the highlights in its short publishing history is the publication of supplements on Namibia’s demarcated regions in 1996 and 1997; the publication of a full colour glossy magazine on the anniversary of Namibia’s fifth and eighth independence and on the seventieth birthday of President Sam Nujoma. The New Era was also the first newspaper to expose secessionist plans of the Caprivi Region by the former leader of the official opposition, Mr Mishake Muyongo, in 1998. An HIV/AIDS supplement was published in conjunction with Hope Worldwide and UNICEF on World AIDS Day, 1 December 1998;
New Era has undertaken a printing feasibility study intended to create employment for rural and urban communities and to arrest and contain the constant printing cash flow from Namibia to outside businesses. The results of this study are still to be published.
Understaffing is a general constraint affecting all departments. Lack of staff makes it impossible for newspaper to effectively and aggressively penetrate untapped advertising sources especially in the regions. A classified advertisement page was introduced in 1988, but could not be maintained and expanded due to lack of staff.
Due to financial constraints, New Era did not become a fully-fledged parastatal body on 1 April 1998 as was intended.
Radio and Television
Given the high rate of illiteracy it goes without saying that the broadcast media becomes the most effective medium through which the inhabitants of this vast country can have access to information. Herein lies the centrality of NBC's broadcasting services in national reconstruction, development and nation building.
The NBC Radio Services reach about 90% of the Namibian population. However, certain languages radio broadcasts are confined to specific geographic areas. Against this backdrop, the Master Plan for the Expansion of the NBC Transmitter Network is aimed at addressing this lopsided distribution of broadcast transmitting and receiving facilities.
The NBC runs ten radio services. The national radio broadcasts in English (the official language) and provides a 24 hours service. The other radio services broadcast in Damara/Nama, Rukavango, Lozi, Setswana, Afrikaans, Oshiwambo, Otjiherero and German. They broadcast on average ten hours a day. There are an estimated 300,000 radio sets in the country. NBC Radio broadcasts on FM and short wave as well as medium wave in certain localities. Also, NBC Radio Services are received across the borders in neighbouring areas, such as, southern Angola, southwestern Zambia, the northern Cape, and northwestern Botswana.
NBC runs a single channel TV network and its broadcast reaches about 45% of the population mainly in urban areas (Namibian Multimedia Survey, Market Research Africa, 1997).
It broadcasts only in English for 18 hours a day. The local content consists mainly of news, current affairs, local documentaries and sports. There are about 60 000 TV sets in the country. NBC's National Radio Service has gone digital and NBC TV transmissions are available on DSTV inside Namibia. The NBC TV system is PAL 625/50Hz.
As a public service broadcaster, NBC receives state-subsidy amounting to about 64% of its operational budget. It also receives an annual capital project allocation/subsidy from the state which is determined in line with identified and registered priority national projects. It generates the remainder of its budget through licence fees collection, selling of airtime, leasing of its facilities, including transmitters to private broadcasters as well as the marketing of its productions. It runs a marketing office in Sandton in Gauteng, South Africa.
M-Net has registered a local subsidiary in the form of Multi-Choice Namibia which is running a TV channel. Thus both NBC Radio and Television Programmes have to maintain a competitive edge with the private broadcasters who have access to numerous television programmes via DSTV.
Due to its public service statutory obligations, NBC has been identified as an essential service provider and in terms of the national labour laws declared a continuous service organisation. This underscores the centrality of NBC to the fabric of Namibian society and thus an indispensable variable in the equation of the Namibian mass communication network.
In 1996, the government signed an agreement with the European Union to expand the transmitter network and develop educational broadcasting. FM and television stations were completed at Opuwo, Oshakati, Katima Mulilo, Rundu and an FM antenna was erected at Arendnes. This project is expected to be completed by the year 2003 and will cost N$120 million.
In 1997, NBC won first prize at the FESPACO Film Festival hosted in Burkina Faso. In November 1997, it obtained an Emmy award for the UNICEF children’s broadcasting competition. In October that same year, the London-based Commonwealth Broadcasting Association awarded NBC first prize for innovative management in recognition of the manner in which it had established itself as a learning organisation in moulding and using its resources, especially human resources, in a creative and economic manner. In the same year, NBC also won a prize at the URTNA Screen Festival for having entered a highly informative and educative radio programme on small-scale entrepreneurship.
In March 1999, NBC TV launched a new image to offer viewers a more professional and appealing product. In its new approach the NBC increased local and African programmes with Wednesdays earmarked as “African” days. The NBC is aware of that local programming is essential if we wish to preserve our multi-cultural identity and slow the trend towards cultural global uniformity. Therefore, the NBC’s strategic plan, active until the year 2000, aims to achieve a high percentage of 50% African programmes, of which a major share will be local programmes. Currently the ratio is 20% local programmes. This was 15% in 1996.
In May 1995, NBC was involved in hosting and broadcasting the 1995 Miss Universe event in Windhoek which was regarded as an opportunity for promoting Namibia in general, for training its staff members and for exposure to the international community, which, in the long term, would bear fruit for investments and tourism in the country.
NBC also made an impact in the Southern African Development Community (SADC). The country serves on the Board of Directors of the Southern African Broadcasting Association (SABA) and, late in 1998, the SABA General Assembly decided that the SABA Secretariat should be hosted in Namibia. The training complex is designed to cater for regional needs. Namibia, South Africa and Zimbabwe were selected to produce radio and television current affairs programmes. A weekly programme of 60 minutes will be produced in Windhoek for broadcasting throughout SADC.
The NBC staff was and is instrumental in the success story of TV Malawi, launched on April 1, 1999. This is a classic example of intra SADC co-operation.
While the external challenges are of such nature that Namibia has no option but to prepare itself to fill in those parameters resulting from the new world economic, political and military order which seems to steer the programme of globalisation. Information is very important for us to realise that we are part of the rest of the world and cannot ignore what is happening around us.
One of the challenges Namibia will have to look at is the definition of sovereignty and what it means when borders between nations are fast disappearing. The government and, particularly the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, has an important role to play to make people aware of this process and its effects on the nation.
The Second National Development Plan recognises the ministry as one of the leading role players in development communication. For that reason, the ministry will focus all its resources and energy on the dissemination of timely and accurate information on government policy and development initiatives to all corners of Namibia.
The ministry also aims to position itself to take full advantage of the new information technology and hopes to equip the division and the regional offices with full multi-media capacity to allow for cheap, fast and effective dissemination of information countrywide. It will also develop its own homepage to ensure the continuation of the Namibia Online success. The introduction of tele-centres or information centres throughout the thirteen regions will allow the previously information-starved rural communities to have immediate access to government, media and worldwide information.
Challenges for the New Millennium
The biggest challenge for the ministry will be to recruit, train and above all keep trained media practitioners. It will tackle this task with the help of the Office of the Prime Minister. Its above average turnover of personnel needs to be stemmed as a prerequisite for ensuring the fulfilment of its mission.
As before, human resources development will remain a priority to ensure that all staff members are computer literate by the year 2005. Inter-departmental co-ordination would be improved to encourage multi skilling. Mentoring and career development programmes should be introduced to provide career advice, and improve self-confidence. Job rotation would be introduced to enhance the sense of belonging and also to understand and appreciate each other’s roles in the ministry. This will enhance attraction, motivation and retention of staff. To ensure proper communication, the ministry plans to publish an in-house publication.
A high premium will be placed on improving its services to the people of Namibia. Mechanism will be developed to determined how much is spent on activities, the value of the activities in terms of information flow, resources needed, and especially in the light of always diminishing resources, prioritising to ensure real needs are met.
The ministry aims to consolidate its production capacity and schedules to ensure a planned and structured production of print, electronic, audiovisual and information technology media to ensure that the people of Namibia are informed on policy, development initiatives, and social activities in a systematic way. This will entail the evaluation of its current personnel structure, its output, its human and technical capacity and access to programming.
Another major challenge for the ministry is to consolidate its efforts to finalise the connection of the whole country to the national communication network, through broadcasting, Internet and other media.
The ministry plans to assist Nampa and New Era to finalise its commercialisation. It is hoped that after April 2000, Nampa and New Era will start operating on full commercial basis and that a more focused vision, mission statement and targets will be put in place.
It will strengthen its focus on all national issues, governance and the legislative processes, decentralisation and nation building.
It will finalise all the legislative actions still outstanding, namely, on film development, on control of obscene material, on freedom of information, and on the revision of the Copyright and Neighbouring Rights Act.
The closing of the urban to rural information gap is a challenge that will determine overall development in Namibia.