Tweya calls journalists 'bad Namibians'
Industrialisation minister Tjekero Tweya launched a scathing attack on journalists yesterday, when he addressed a group of Emirati investors who presented an ambitious N$25 billion logistics project in the capital.
According to Tweya, journalists often, through their writing, derail lucrative projects by reporting negatively on what was happening.
Tweya, a former information minister, came out guns blazing and insinuated that journalists were hell-bent on painting a negative image of the country.
He made the comments in front of the Emirati investors during the signing of an agreement between logistics company DP World and the Namibia Industrialisation Development Agency (NIDA). The company plans to set up a logistics distribution centre on the outskirts of Walvis Bay in a recently established free-trade area.
“You have become the main barriers because of what you write; what the outside world reads about, when they come here, they find everything fine… tomorrow they will read in the media how bad Namibia is. Bad, bad Namibians, you are bad Namibians, you are not patriotic,” he said.
“They are going to put up the first industrial park in Namibia, you cannot compare it because it is going to be the first… media, if you don't understand don't write crap… make time and come and interview me, so that I can give you the correct picture.”
Tweya assured the investors there was nothing to be worried about, as he was prepared to walk what he called a bumpy road with them.
“The media will start writing things that don't make sense, instead of encouraging everybody to be positive, they will poison them.”
“It is going to be bumpy, and then you will start asking me silly questions: 'Minister, is it a public-private-partnership or what is it?' I will answer you now, some of you don't even think, and I mean it, I get irritated… Namibians don't think, especially those that ask these types of questions.”
“There will be a lot of flies making noises.”
A combative Tweya also cautioned that the land that was being availed had stood idle and was not agricultural land.
“They have come on our invitation; we are availing land, we are not relocating anybody from any land, it is idle land that God has given Namibia, it is nothing until we develop on that land, that is what they will do. Don't come and quote me about the land conference. We are not selling; we want to create wealth for Namibians, create jobs,” he said.
OGONE TLHAGE
According to Tweya, journalists often, through their writing, derail lucrative projects by reporting negatively on what was happening.
Tweya, a former information minister, came out guns blazing and insinuated that journalists were hell-bent on painting a negative image of the country.
He made the comments in front of the Emirati investors during the signing of an agreement between logistics company DP World and the Namibia Industrialisation Development Agency (NIDA). The company plans to set up a logistics distribution centre on the outskirts of Walvis Bay in a recently established free-trade area.
“You have become the main barriers because of what you write; what the outside world reads about, when they come here, they find everything fine… tomorrow they will read in the media how bad Namibia is. Bad, bad Namibians, you are bad Namibians, you are not patriotic,” he said.
“They are going to put up the first industrial park in Namibia, you cannot compare it because it is going to be the first… media, if you don't understand don't write crap… make time and come and interview me, so that I can give you the correct picture.”
Tweya assured the investors there was nothing to be worried about, as he was prepared to walk what he called a bumpy road with them.
“The media will start writing things that don't make sense, instead of encouraging everybody to be positive, they will poison them.”
“It is going to be bumpy, and then you will start asking me silly questions: 'Minister, is it a public-private-partnership or what is it?' I will answer you now, some of you don't even think, and I mean it, I get irritated… Namibians don't think, especially those that ask these types of questions.”
“There will be a lot of flies making noises.”
A combative Tweya also cautioned that the land that was being availed had stood idle and was not agricultural land.
“They have come on our invitation; we are availing land, we are not relocating anybody from any land, it is idle land that God has given Namibia, it is nothing until we develop on that land, that is what they will do. Don't come and quote me about the land conference. We are not selling; we want to create wealth for Namibians, create jobs,” he said.
OGONE TLHAGE
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