LPM jumps to the defence of Jessica
Staff Reporter |
The Landless People’s Movement (LPM) has come out in defence of the two ladies who brought fame to the NBC for the wrong reasons.
Three days ago two Namibian Broadcasting Corporation (NBC) newscasters got caught up in a live broadcast mishap that came to be known as the “Jessica, we are live” comical glitch that went viral on social media and was taken up by some foreign media too.
The two journalists at the centre of the rib-tickling storm, Elmarie Kapunda and Jessica Kaimu, consequently were removed from the news programme while investigations take place.
In a statement LPM said that the “Jessica, we are live” incident was a “human error” and that it was therefore a malicious and miscalculated judgement for the NBC management “to stagnate the professional growth of the employees” by removing them from their news casting role.
The statement signed by LPM’s firebrand lawmaker Ms Utaara Mootu condemned the NBC for not seeing the “humour” and “opportunity” in the incident despite the fact that the broadcaster’s Board Chairperson is himself a comedian.
“In a climate where people are losing their jobs on a daily basis, and where NBC just emerged from a protracted labor dispute, the management has the temerity to remove two black women from the line-up, where the country’s pace in providing jobs for the young populace has decelerated as a result of the pandemic.
“Furthermore, the world has witnessed numerous ‘blunders’ made live, but broadcasting channels were able to innovatively capitalize from such incidences to accelerate viewership.
“In fact, this incident is what makes us human,” Mootu said.
“It is with the above that NBC management ought to be grateful that the two presenters under the circumstances attracted attention both locally and internationally, in a humorous context, and not a sign of incompetence. With Covid-19 inflicting havoc and causing emotional and psychological distress, the incident created a sense of enlightenment to those in despair.
“The management of NBC should lighten up; the irony of having a comedian as the chairperson of the board but fails to see the humor in the incident. It must be exposed that the NBC management accused the presenters of embarrassment; however, the authentic national embarrassment is the NBC’s management falling to improve the working conditions of NBC workers and cowardly reacting to micro issues.
“Finally, we are in complete solidarity with the presenters,” Mootu said.
In the photo: A snap of the ‘Jessica, we are live’ clip that went viral.
