Namibian Minister attacks Ghanaian films

Namibia’s Minister for Information and Broadcasting recently tore Ghana’s local movie industry into pieces, describing their content as “trash with no message”. The Minister, Theo-Ben Gurirab, who issued the blistering attack on Ghanaian movies currently showing on Namibia Television, questioned the quality and moral values of the movies being shown by the national broadcaster, Namibian Broadcasting Corporation Television (NBC TV).

According to a report on BBC’s Network Africa programme, the southern African country’s information minister had told her country’s parliament recently that the Ghanaian movies lack moral and credible values and suggested it should be taken off air.

“The NBC should show good African movies with a message but certainly not trash with no message,” he added.

But the management of NBC and Africa Media Warehouse (AMW) the company, which secured the deal, has rejected the minister’s attack citing the latest viewership survey making the Ghanaian movie slot the third most popular programme on NBC TV behind the major news slot and a musical show.

The General Manager of Africa Media Warehouse, Ms Shirley Brown told the Network Herald that her outfit has not received any compliant from the Namibian government nor the NBC concerning Ghanaian movies being showed in that country. According to Ms Brown, AMW has supplied the NBC with stock that could last for at least a year even though negotiations are ongoing between the two sides.

“The film industry does not need this kind of criticism, we need constructive criticisms to urge us on to improve as a young industry. We don’t send X –rated materials as all the movies sent to Namibia are screened and by the way most of them are those which have being showed here in Ghana without any problem,” she said.

The Public Relations Officer of NBC was equally blunt in dismissing the minister’s suggestions as a non-starter and without any merit since television and films cannot be blamed for promiscuity adding, “promiscuity was around long before even there were movies or TV sets and they happen anywhere in the world”.

Despite the Minister’s criticisms in parliament, Ghanaian movies are said to have a large following in Namibia because the people claim they easily identify with them. “ The people love them because Africans make them in Africa”, a Namibian film critic said.