By Staff Reporter

Namibia’s community media leaders gathered on Monday at the Community Media Policy Framework Alignment Workshop in Windhoek and urged for immediate government support and action in finalizing and implementing the long-awaited Community Media Policy.

During the workshop, Mr Levi Katire, Chairperson of the Namibia Community Radio Network which soon to be renamed as Namibia Community Media Network called the Government to consider supporting all community Media in Namibia with funding , equipment and capacity building to sustain themselves.

The workshop brought together key government officials from the Ministry of Information and Communication Technology, National Planning. Commission , UNESCO, CRAN, Deutsche Welle Akademie, and other representatives from Community Media Outlets of Namibia , with the aim of aligning the sector around sustainable policy and funding models.

The workshop was part of a process that began in 2020 to establish a formal policy framework for Namibian community media sector, which currently includes 17 community radio stations and two community print publications, but no community television services due to prohibitive costs.

.Mr. Katire emphasized the importance of not only finalizing the policy but ensuring that it leads to tangible improvements in how the community media sector operates and is supported.

He warned against letting the framework become “another white elephant,” calling for bold, coordinated action to make the policy work for grassroots media across the country.

“We must be ready to embrace and operationalize this policy once it is approved by Cabinet. As the saying goes, ‘charity begins at home,’” said Katire.

How the sector plans to move forward, Katire outlined five urgent priorities:Redirecting the national advertising budget to include community media.Requiring government ministries and agencies to place content with community broadcasters and publications. Enforcing the Infrastructure Sharing Policy to lower operational costs.Establishing funding channels, such as grants or soft loans, modeled after South Africa’s MDDA.Creating an equipment aid scheme to help media outlets access modern technology.Moreover, Katire also commended the Ministry of ICT and UNESCO for their leadership in initiating the policy framework and acknowledged the dynamic role of Hon. Emma Theofelus, Namibia’s MICT Minister, in advocating for the framework’s Cabinet approval.

He reminded attendees that once a community media outlet is licensed, it carries the same mandate as the national broadcaster to inform and educate citizens a task made increasingly difficult without adequate support.The Chairperson called on the sector to unite, improve governance, strengthen compliance, and prepare for an era of better collaboration with government and development partners.

.In conclusion, the event marked a significant step towards operationalizing a national policy that aims to transform Namibia’s community media into a sustainable, influential, and accessible platform for local content, development communication, and public engagement.

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