New Era editor suspended after questioning judiciary transparency

The New Era Publication Corporation (NEPC) on Friday suspended its managing editor Johnathan Beukes after the newspaper published a series of articles questioning the transparency of the judiciary in appointing judges.Officially, Beukes has been accused of failing to advance the mandate of the organisation, which includes reporting positively on government affairs.Under his editorship, the newspaper has also been criticised by state officials after its serialised reporting on infighting and mismanagement at parastatals. Its reporting on stark levels of poverty across the country has also been seen as painting government in a negative light.However, what appears to have broken the camel&#039;s back is an editorial in Friday’s newspaper questioning the perceived secrecy of the judiciary. The editorial - a newspaper article expressing the editor&#039;s opinion on an issue – questioned whether the judiciary is immune to public scrutiny. The editorial called the judiciary to open up and earn the trust of the public. Previous news articles by the newspaper questioned the appointment of Zimbabwean-born acting judge of the High Court Moses Chinhengo and his subsequent assignment to the Fishrot trial. He was appointed by President Hage Geingob on recommendation of the Judicial Service Commission.Internal matterNEPC’s CEO Christof Maletzky refused to delve into granular details of the suspension when contacted yesterday. “This is not a matter that concerns the public. It will be dealt with internally,” he said. “It is an internal matter – a lot of things happen at your newspaper and it is not reported. The public does not need to know. I also represent the public, so I say the public does not need to know,” he responded to a Namibian Sun enquiry. NEPC board chairperson Dr John Sifani said he was not aware of the suspension.“I don’t know these things – those are administrative matters.”Meanwhile, Beukes declined to comment, saying: “I am unfortunately to allowed to speak on this matter”.Front-page apologyThe editorial, titled ‘No confidence in secretive judiciary’, pointed out that by Friday, it had been 200 hours since the newspaper’s staff sent questions to the judiciary around its non-transparency on strategic decisions.This includes the appointment of permanent and acting judges of the High Court and the Supreme Court, it said.“When President Hage Geingob leaves office on 21 March 2025, one of his famous quotes will reverberate in our subconscious minds: ‘Accountability plus transparency equals trusts (A+T=TR)’. Disappointingly, the A+T=TR approach, which paves the way for effective governance, where institutions are expected to be responsive to an engaged citizenry to lay a solid foundation for democracy and sustainability for all, has not been embraced by all institutions of the state. Chief among them is the judiciary,” the piece read.After Beukes’ suspension, the newspaper yesterday issued a front-page apology, saying it has failed the judiciary and has taken ‘corrective measures internally’ and will close the ‘loopholes’ that exist. “We dropped the ball by not following acceptable principles of journalistic conduct, by among others, referring to members of the Judicial [Service] Commission as ‘lieutenants’ of somebody. The New Era newspaper herewith extends wholeheartedly [an] apology to the commission.”Reinstate him!Yesterday, the Namibia Media Professionals&#039; Union (Nampu) condemned Beukes’ suspension, saying the incident raises serious questions about press freedom, journalistic independence and the protection of journalists&#039; rights in Namibia.“We wish to emphasise that New Era operates as an entity funded by taxpayer money, and the public has every right to be informed about the functioning of all institutions - including the judiciary,” Nampu acting secretary general Jemima Beukes said in a statement.The union called upon the information ministry, under which New Era resorts, to immediately reinstate Beukes and provide a full and transparent account of the reasons behind his suspension.jemima@namibiansun.com

New Era editor suspended after questioning judiciary transparency

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Namibian Sun 2024-11-26

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New Era editor suspended after questioning judiciary transparency

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Namibian Sun 2024-11-26

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