WINDHOEK – The Minister of Information and Communication Technology, Joël Kaapanda, yesterday said he was very excited about having a young, dynamic, vibrant and hardworking new Board of Directors take over at New Era Publication Corporation (NEPC) and NamZim.
NamZim is a joint partnership between NEPC, which publishes New Era, and Zimpapers of Zimbabwe.
“There’s a lawyer, accountant, economist, what more do you want?” said Kaapanda when he announced and inaugurated the new Board of NEPC and NamZim at Daniel Tjongarero House, Windhoek yesterday.
Kaapanda further urged staff to give the newly elected Board members all the necessary support in order to take the publishing group to greater heights.
“Give them your every support and you will see the difference,” he encouraged staff who gathered to witness the occasion.
Kaapanda stressed that there was no reason to fail since the group is blessed with a very educated board to take it to the next level.
Kaapanda said he wants to see New Era, which is NEPC’s main publication, being run in a professional manner for the paper to become more effective in educating the nation about government agendas.
“New Era is a government mouthpiece, so the paper should spread a message of development and preach unity in the country. New Era now has a new board, young people full of energy and enthusiasm … who can assure a solid structure and thereby create efficiency and effectiveness. I am sure they will motivate the staff and lift your morale,” said the minister.
Kaapanda said New Era should strive to serve the public interest because this is in synch with its mandate to inform, educate and even to entertain the Namibian public.
Kaapanda said NEPC was striving towards introducing a paper for each local language to make it easier for people to have access to information just as they have done with Kundana, a newspaper in Oshiwambo which he said is a great initiative considering the fact only about four percent of the population speak English, adding that the other 96 percent of the Namibian population would prefer to read newspapers in their mother tongue. NEPC has taken the lead by publishing Kundana, he added.
“New Era must be different, we are not here for business, we are here to tell the truth,” said Kaapanda, adding that the New Era newspaper cannot survive without the public and in this vein it should strive to serve the Namibian public in line with its mandate to disseminate factual news .
Chairperson of the newly elected NEPC Board, Tarah Shaanika, said he was equally happy and excited to be part of the hard working team at New Era.
“I have been reading New Era everyday and it has been evident how hard you have been working to produce a competitive product,” he said.
Shaanika said the media plays an important role in educating and informing the nation but it is equally important to have balanced reporting.
“With a board of this calibre you will see great things happening, we must inject professionalism in our endeavour to serve the people of the country by sharing information with them,” he said.
“We must work hard to make New Era a paper of preference,” he said.
The five new board members are Namibian Chamber of Commerce and Industry Chief Executive Officer,Tarah Shaanika (Chairperson), Legal Practitioner of Shikongo Law Chamber Stephanie de Klerk, Fernando Putjie Somaeb of Rio Tinto Rossing, Abed Pedapala Iyambo a Senior Researcher from the Bank of Namibia and Ipupa Kasheeta who is the Human Resources Manager at the Namibia Ports Authority.
The new Board replaces the old Board that comprised of Dr Ben Mulongeni (as chairperson), Sirkka Ausiku, Ndapewa Shafiona and Milton ya Otto.
By Kuzeeko Tjitemisa