Cul de sac
Oë in die mediabedryf rus vanaf vandag op Namibië as gasheerland vir die internasionale vieringe van Wêreldpersvryheiddag en die 30ste herdenking van die Windhoek-verklaring.
Terselfdertyd is ‘n staking by die nasionale uitsaaier, die NBC, vandag ‘n week oud.
Op Facebook het ‘n aanbieder namens stakers groot gewag gemaak van die ironie in hierdie situasie.
Die meeste Namibiërs, die wat nog ‘n werk het, verkeer in dieselfde knyptang weens ‘n jarelange resessie en nou die Covid-19-kishou. ‘n Toeweging kan ook tot ‘n rits stakings by ander staatsonderneming lei.
Die erkende belang van die “stem van die nasie” se werk, die reg op inligting en vryheid van uitdrukking maak personeel ongelukkig nié sonder meer geregtig op die verhogings wat hulle eis nie.
‘n Holrug, maar altyd belangrike vraag – een wat sommige geriefshalwe al te maklik vergeet – is hoe die NBC, en ander SOE’s, in die doodloopstrate beland het waarin hulle verkeer.
Ingrypende herstrukturering en hervorming moes al baie lank terug geskied het. Maar politieke gedienstigheid was belangriker.
Die uitdrukking “eerder laat as nooit” is ongelukkig nie altyd waar nie. Hiervan is Air Namibia ‘n tragiese voorbeeld.
Niemand is daarteen gekant dat die NBC-personeel redelik vergoed word nie. Geld hiervoor, vir noodsaaklike tegnologiese vernuwing en beter dienste kan dalk uit begrotings soos die weermag s’n kom.
Máár: Die belastingbetaler mag nie langer ekstra vir swak bestuur en onvolhoubare SOE’s opdok nie.
So sê ander
24 April 2021
No compromise on freedom of the Hong Kong press
When a journalist investigating a high-profile mob attack at the height of Hong Kong’s social unrest in 2019 is convicted as a result of her work, something is amiss.
(Bao Choy Yuk-ling) used the car registration search tool of a government database to find the owner of a vehicle linked to the so-called July 21 attack at Yuen Long MTR station.
But just as the television programme she co-produced won a news award, she was found guilty of making false statements. The court ruled that she had deceived authorities by accessing the system under “traffic and transport-related matters”.
The online database is the right channel. What it lacks is simply the option of “news reporting”.
This is not only a sorry outcome for the industry, but also for the public perception of the administration of justice. The prosecution was seen by many as being in retaliation for the criticism police and government have received over their handling of the attack.
Journalists are not above the law, nor are we asking to be treated as such. But the pursuit of truth is our fundamental mission, at times even outside legal boundaries when there is an overriding public interest.
Press freedom is protected by the Basic Law. The government should closely engage the industry and review relevant laws to ensure constitutional safeguards are not compromised.
• SOUTH CHINA MORNING POST
Terselfdertyd is ‘n staking by die nasionale uitsaaier, die NBC, vandag ‘n week oud.
Op Facebook het ‘n aanbieder namens stakers groot gewag gemaak van die ironie in hierdie situasie.
Die meeste Namibiërs, die wat nog ‘n werk het, verkeer in dieselfde knyptang weens ‘n jarelange resessie en nou die Covid-19-kishou. ‘n Toeweging kan ook tot ‘n rits stakings by ander staatsonderneming lei.
Die erkende belang van die “stem van die nasie” se werk, die reg op inligting en vryheid van uitdrukking maak personeel ongelukkig nié sonder meer geregtig op die verhogings wat hulle eis nie.
‘n Holrug, maar altyd belangrike vraag – een wat sommige geriefshalwe al te maklik vergeet – is hoe die NBC, en ander SOE’s, in die doodloopstrate beland het waarin hulle verkeer.
Ingrypende herstrukturering en hervorming moes al baie lank terug geskied het. Maar politieke gedienstigheid was belangriker.
Die uitdrukking “eerder laat as nooit” is ongelukkig nie altyd waar nie. Hiervan is Air Namibia ‘n tragiese voorbeeld.
Niemand is daarteen gekant dat die NBC-personeel redelik vergoed word nie. Geld hiervoor, vir noodsaaklike tegnologiese vernuwing en beter dienste kan dalk uit begrotings soos die weermag s’n kom.
Máár: Die belastingbetaler mag nie langer ekstra vir swak bestuur en onvolhoubare SOE’s opdok nie.
So sê ander
24 April 2021
No compromise on freedom of the Hong Kong press
When a journalist investigating a high-profile mob attack at the height of Hong Kong’s social unrest in 2019 is convicted as a result of her work, something is amiss.
(Bao Choy Yuk-ling) used the car registration search tool of a government database to find the owner of a vehicle linked to the so-called July 21 attack at Yuen Long MTR station.
But just as the television programme she co-produced won a news award, she was found guilty of making false statements. The court ruled that she had deceived authorities by accessing the system under “traffic and transport-related matters”.
The online database is the right channel. What it lacks is simply the option of “news reporting”.
This is not only a sorry outcome for the industry, but also for the public perception of the administration of justice. The prosecution was seen by many as being in retaliation for the criticism police and government have received over their handling of the attack.
Journalists are not above the law, nor are we asking to be treated as such. But the pursuit of truth is our fundamental mission, at times even outside legal boundaries when there is an overriding public interest.
Press freedom is protected by the Basic Law. The government should closely engage the industry and review relevant laws to ensure constitutional safeguards are not compromised.
• SOUTH CHINA MORNING POST
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