WINDHOEK – The Head of the SADC-PF Election Observation Mission, Advocate Jacob Francis Mudenda, says there is a lack of a binding code of conduct governing the media coverage of elections in Namibia.
He was speaking at the media briefing on Sunday on the mission’s findings on the elections held in Namibia on Friday.
Contacted for comment yesterday, Media Institute of Southern Africa (MISA) Namibia National Director, Natasha Tibinyane, said she found it interesting that Mudenda noted the ‘lack of a binding code of conduct governing the media coverage of elections in Namibia’, after he gave a positive evaluation on the media performance during the election period.
“Our applaudable performance, despite a law regulating how we should conduct ourselves, reaffirms our assertion that the self-regulatory system is the most credible and democracy-friendly framework in which the media can operate,” she said.
“It proves that we don’t need to be regulated by the state or any other party to do our work effectively,” added Tibinyane.
She reaffirmed the influence of the Namibian Media Code of Ethics developed and adopted by media practitioners and relevant stakeholders.
“If it isn’t broken, why fix it?” she asked.
“I am not aware whether Advocate Mudenda approached any media house on the issue regarding the media code of ethics,” said the Deputy Editor of Allgemeine Zeitung, Eberhard Hofmann, when contacted for comment.
He said that at the Editors´ Forum they are generally in agreement that the existing code covers the issue of elections too.
“In addition the NBC took more care this time around to create a level playing field. But as you know from experience, political parties that have strong means and/or are very lively invariably succeed in getting more media attention,” he added.
On a positive note, Mudenda commended the Namibian Broadcasting Corporation (NBC) for allocating equal and free15-minute campaign slots for contesting political parties on television and radio.
“The mission observes the plurality and diversity characterising the media terrain in Namibia, which include public and private electronic and print,” he said.
Mudenda said the mission noted the linguistic diversity and geographical reach of various media houses including the use of community radio stations.
“The media played a critical role in providing information on the electoral process and contesting political parties and candidates,” he stated.
He said the media covered electoral processes, including voter registration, civic and voter education, candidate nominations, the polling process and post-election developments.
“This went a long way in promoting public interest and encouraging public participation in the elections as witnessed by the huge voter turnout at polling stations,” he said.
By Kuzeeko Tjitemisa