NDN Staffer
WINDHOEK, May 8 — Namibia has been ranked as having the highest press freedom of any African country and 22nd overall in the 2021 World Press Freedom Index. While journalists in the country are proud of their ranking, they also recognize that there is still much room for improvement. Sakeus Iikela, head of the Namibia Media Professionals Union, explained that there are issues that count against them in the global index, and they need to critically examine them and work on them. For instance, last year, Namibian journalist Elifas Bonifatius was shot by police with rubber bullets while covering protests. Additionally, with the rise of the digital era, governments can now shut down access to content and silence opposition voices, making media interference more covert.
Although Reporters Without Borders noted progress in Niger and Uganda, press freedom on the African continent remained challenging overall, and disinformation was on the rise. The previously well-regarded Senegal dropped 31 places to 104th overall due to an increasingly repressive environment, while the Tigray conflict resulted in numerous journalist arrests in Ethiopia. Eritrea remained the most repressive nation for journalists in sub-Saharan Africa, with Cameroon, Rwanda, Kenya, and Somalia all witnessing journalists’ deaths in connection with their work.
Regarding North African countries, Egypt continued to censor and detain reporters. The report noted that Tunisia and Algeria showed the most significant “drift towards authoritarianism.” While Namibia ranks high globally, there is still much work to be done to ensure press freedom remains strong in Africa and around the world. – Namibia Daily News
