President Hifikepunye Pohamba's government has come under increasingcriticism after the state broadcasting companyshut down a popular phone-in radio program, saying callers delugedit with hate speech and cultural insensitivity. Opponents condemned the Namibiagovernment, saying the move is an infringement on freedom of speech. Theyaccused the ruling party of silencing opponents ahead of this year's generalelections. They also accused the government of flouting the constitution,saying freedom of speech is enshrined in the Namibia constitution. But thegovernment maintains that hate speech, xenophobia, and tribalism will not betolerated, adding that if not curbed they would undermine the country's peaceand stability. Executive director Phil ya Nangoloh of the Namibia NationalSociety for Human Rights tells reporter Peter Clottey that the radio program'scancelation is a way for the government to tighten its grip on media ahead ofthe elections.
"Itis part of a move by a small group of people within the ruling SWAPO (SouthWest African People's Organization) party to silence criticism ahead of thepresidential or the general elections taking place towards the end of thisyear. It is simply like that and there is no other way to explain it," Nangolohsaid.
Hesaid although the government has the right to protect Namibian citizens fromvitriolic attacks, it did not act in good faith, claims Nangoloh, since therewere no such attacks from members of the opposition on the radio program.
"Therewas no such thing whatsoever. We saw this coming when they first started withthe summary dismissal of the director general of the NBC (Namibia BroadcastingCooperation). We are the chairman of the board of directors. And they startedpurging any other persons from the ruling party and the government who aredeemed to be critical or who are deemed to be not members of the ruling party.So this is really a wider range move to silence criticism ahead of theelection, and it is part of the electoral campaign," he said.
Nangolohsaid partisans of theruling SWAPO movement are behind the abuse language used on radio shows in thecountry contrary to what the government claims.
"Infact it is the other way round because supporters of the government are peoplefrom mainly the youth wing and the elders' wing of the ruling party. And theseare the ones who have been engaging in hate speeches, xenophobia and similarimpermissible forms of expression. But they (the government) are now turning itaround," Nangoloh pointed out.
He said human rightsorganizations operating in the country support the move to rein in verbal attackson ethnic groups on radio programs.
"We as a human rightsorganization will in principle support any move that is genuinely aimed atcurbing hate speech. But this is not the case in this regard," he said.
Nangoloh denied claims thatthe government has the power to employ or determine who works for stateinstitutions.
"Our constitution in termsof article 18 of the constitution. They (government) are required in statebodies and administrations such as ministers and others to act reasonably andfairly and comply with the requirement of the law, and if this was this articlewas being complied with, then we would have no problems with the action of thegovernment," Nangoloh noted.
He described thegovernment's termination of the radio program as a dictatorship.
"This is an undemocraticmove, and McCarthy's move is in fact similar to steps that have been takenagainst critics in Zimbabwe by Robert Mugabe and his cohorts," he said.