Namibia has reclaimed its number one position in Press Freedom in Africa after coming in second last year, the 2023 World Press Freedom Index shows.
This comes after the commencement of the Declaration of World Freedom Day, which convened under the theme “Shaping a Future of Rights: Freedom of Expression as a Driver for All Other Human Rights.”
“Namibia reclaims the top position in the 2023 World Press Freedom Index as the country with the Freest Press in Africa and is ranked 22 out of 180 countries in the world. As the fourth estate, the media is crucial to democracy and plays an essential role in keeping the public informed and Government institutions accountable,” the Presidency has said.
The President stated that the media is an important pillar of effective governance and the nation should be assured that he will guarantee freedom of the fourth estate for as long as he is the President of this country.
“This demonstrates the fact that the strength of Namibia in press freedom is a function of the commitment of President Geingob and the Government that he leads to upholding the values of the Constitution of the Republic of Namibia,” the Presidency said.
He called upon the press to use the day as an opportunity to reflect on the role that it plays in strengthening the quality of Namibian democracy by reporting accurately, fairly and in line with the code of ethics.