Jemima Beukes, who currently serves as Secretary General of the Federation of Southern African Journalists (FeSAJ) and Acting Secretary General of the Namibia Media Professionals Union (NAMPU), both of which are affiliated with FAJ and the IFJ, has dedicated herself to exposing critical national issues, holding power to account and ensuring that the voices of the people are heard. However, her commitment to independent journalism has made her the target of brutal workplace repression by the Network Media Hub (NMH).
FAJ has received alarming reports that Jemima Beukes has been subjected to relentless harassment, discrimination and retaliation simply for doing her job. Her critical reporting on the controversial “Green Hydrogen” project, which raised legitimate environmental, scientific and economic concerns, was met with severe backlash from NMH management. In September 2024, NMH’s Executive Director unilaterally removed her from covering the project, accusing her of “negative reporting” – a baseless claim aimed at silencing her. Not only was she banned from covering the Namibia Investment Promotion and Development Board (NIPDB) without justification, but her accreditation for an international Green Hydrogen conference was also secretly withdrawn by her employer. To add insult to injury, the NMH Executive Director actively slandered her to NIPDB, falsely claiming that she was biased and had an “agenda against the project.”
In what can only be termed as a clear case of gender bias and newsroom discrimination against Jemima Beukes, NMH reassigned the Green Hydrogen coverage to two male journalists, reinforcing the ongoing exclusion of women from key economic and political reporting. Sadly, this blatant racial and gender-based discrimination is not an isolated case but part of a broader problem in Namibia’s media industry, where outdated, racist and sexist practices persist despite the country’s democratic credentials, according to local journalists.
Jemima Beukes claims on racial discrimination came after she was excluded from a promotion opportunity for the position of Deputy News Editor. She contends that a less-qualified female colleague was unfairly favoured, raising serious questions about equity in the workplace.
Determined to fight for fairness, Jemima lodged a formal grievance with NMH on 17 September 2024. Instead of being afforded due process, she was subjected to a “kangaroo process,” where NMH violated its own grievance procedures. The Executive Director – against whom she had filed the grievance – manipulated the process and insisted on personally overseeing the case. This conflict of interest led to a sham hearing, chaired by an individual handpicked by NMH from a company with a long-standing relationship with them – acting as a hit-woman to ensure that her legitimate concerns were dismissed without proper investigation. To add salt to the wounds, NMH forced Jemima onto unpaid sick leave in December 2024, threatening to cut off her income while continuing to publish the articles she had produced. The company has, however, paid her December salary. When she challenged the illegal process on 13 January 2025, her employer retaliated by initiating disciplinary proceedings on 17 February 2025, aiming to dismiss her immediately – yet another attempt to bully her into submission.
This disciplinary hearing has now brought to light the deeply flawed and biased labour practices at the company, where NMH enjoys unrestricted representation while restricting Jemima Beukes to a fellow colleague – who also reports to the Executive Director – or a shop steward, despite not recognising any registered trade unions or federations. This imbalance is further compounded by the fact that the chairperson of the inquiry comes from a consultancy retained by NMH, raising serious concerns about fairness, impartiality and due process.
It is the understanding of FAJ that this is not just an attack on Jemima Beukes – it is an attack on all journalists and media workers in Namibia. The deliberate exclusion of black and female journalists from career progression is a serious violation of human and labour rights. The ongoing victimisation of Jemima is seen as a deliberate attempt to coerce journalists into accepting racial and gender injustice, a direct violation of Namibia’s Constitution and international labour standards.
FAJ and its affiliate journalist unions across the five regions of Africa express undivided solidarity with Jemima Beukes and all journalists in Namibia facing organised and deliberate attacks on their professional rights. The repression of journalists cannot and will not be tolerated. It is unacceptable that such forms of repression and discrimination on journalists and the media in general can happen in the “Land of the Windhoek Declaration”.
“The targeting of Jemima Beukes is not just an attack on one journalist, but a disgraceful violation of human and labour rights against journalists. It is an attempt to silence independent journalism and force journalists into submission through intimidation, discrimination and economic coercion. We stand firm in our demand for justice for Jemima and an end to this campaign of victimisation against journalists in Namibia,” said Omar Faruk Osman, FAJ President.
FAJ is mobilising regional and international support from the global journalist and labour movements to ensure that Jemima Beukes receives the justice she deserves. “We call on the government of Namibia, civil society organisations, trade unions and human rights organisations to take a stand against this blatant injustice,” declares FAJ President.
To remedy this repressive situation, FAJ demands urgent action, including a full and independent investigation into the grievances filed by Jemima Beukes, in accordance with Namibia’s labour laws and International Labour Standards. We call for an end to the racial and gender-based discrimination within Namibia’s media sector, ensuring equal opportunities for all journalists and media workers.
The Pan-African Federation of Journalists also demands the immediate and unconditional cessation of all disciplinary proceedings against Jemima Beukes, which are based on unfounded accusations and are a clear act of workplace retaliation. Furthermore, the Federation insists on the protection of Namibian journalists’ rights to fair and independent reporting, free from political and corporate interference.
For more Information, please contact the IFJ – Africa Office
1st Floor, Maison de la Presse, 5 Rue X Corniche, Medina,
BP 64257, Dakar, Senegal
Tel: +221- 33 867 95 86/87; Fax: +221- 33 827 02
