Namibia: Former NBC Director General shuns the spotlight

Former Namibian Broadcasting Corporation (NBC) acting Director General Matthew //Gowaseb decided to exit public life after his NBC ordeal.

Sources in the know told The Namibian that //Gowaseb had decided to resign as chairperson of two Government newspapers as one of the measures to stay out of the spotlight.

Until last week //Gowaseb was the chairman of both New Era and NamZim, the joint venture between the Namibian and Zimbabwean governments that publishes the Southern Times. Media reports last week said that //Gowaseb gave no reason for his “instant resignation” as chairperson of the two boards.

He was quoted as saying that he was going to concentrate on postgraduate studies and needed to study intensively, hence his resignation.

But sources close to //Gowaseb told The Namibian that he was tired of the controversy and the media attention. He is said to have complained about being in the media over non-issues.  //Gowaseb declined to comment when asked for his reasons for leaving the two boards.  The decision to resign from the two boards came a few weeks after his exit as acting Director General of the NBC, almost nine months after he started acting in that position.

//Gowaseb allegedly submitted his letter of resignation to the NBC board and Information Minister Joel Kaapanda in January.

He is said to have indicated in the letter that he was no longer interested in the position and that he was going back to his previous job at State House, from where he was seconded to act in the controversial position.

Political interference and personality clashes are believed to be the reasons that ended //Gowaseb’s relationship with the national broadcaster, making him the third DG to vacate the office within one year.

-February 12, 2010 by Tileni Mongudhi

……………..

Source: www.namibian.com.na/index.php   (accessed on 12.02.10)