Lister urges govt to implement Access to Information Act

Veteran journalist Gwen Lister has urged government to urgently implement Namibia’s Access to Information (ATI) Act, warning that delays are weakening transparency and limiting the media’s ability to hold those in power accountable.

Speaking at the World Press Freedom Day 2026 commemoration in Windhoek on Friday, Lister said access to information remains vital to democracy and citizen empowerment.

“The delays to the implementation of the Access to Information Act remain problematic, and government must operationalise this as a matter of urgency,” Lister said.

She described access to information as the “mother of all rights”, saying it strengthens both citizens and the media.

Lister said Namibia, as the birthplace of the 1991 Windhoek Declaration, carries a responsibility to continue defending press freedom globally.

She warned that media freedom gains are increasingly threatened by disinformation, online toxicity, economic pressure on media houses and attacks on journalists worldwide.

“Press freedom and free expression have always, and will continue to be, a battle that is never fully won,” she said.

Praise for Namibia

She also raised concern over journalists killed in conflict zones, particularly in Palestine, where she said nearly 300 journalists have died since October 2023, according to the UN and the Committee to Protect Journalists.

European Union Ambassador to Namibia Ana Beatriz Martins said democracy cannot exist without a free press and praised Namibia for ranking second in Africa and 23rd globally on the World Press Freedom Index.

“Namibia stands as a powerful example of how the principles of the Windhoek Declaration can be translated into practice,” Martins said while cautioning against complacency amid growing threats, including online harassment, self-censorship and financial pressure on media houses.

Editors’ Forum of Namibia chairperson Toivo Ndjebela welcomed the country’s improved ranking, saying Namibia had experienced a relatively stable media environment over the past year.

Ndjebela also commended President Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah’s administration for reaffirming support for press freedom, although he raised concerns about some public institutions allegedly withholding information from journalists.

He further announced plans to strengthen accountability in the media industry by ensuring journalists from non-member institutions can still be subjected to oversight by the media ombudsman, while urging journalists to uphold ethical standards and distinguish professional journalism from misinformation and deepfake content online.

He urged journalists to maintain ethical standards and distinguish professional journalism from misinformation and deepfake content circulating online. “We are professionals, we are mainstream, and we must show that we are nothing like what we see on those platforms,” Ndjebela said.