Acting Chief of News and Programming at the Namibian Broadcasting Corporation (NBC), Sackie Shikufa, said Namibia's high media freedom ranking should not lead to complacency.

Speaking at an NBC event, Shikufa credited the country's continuing media freedom to sacrifices made by leaders such as Founding President Sam Nujoma and former National Assembly Speaker Peter Katjavivi, who celebrated their birthdays a day before the event, as well as the current leadership.

Shikufa stressed that, while Namibia continues to rank highly on global press freedom indices, the country must remain vigilant and prioritise the substance of freedom over rankings alone.

NBC senior reporter Emil Seibeb shared the ethical challenges of journalism. "We are often the first to arrive and sit with families minutes after they learn their loved ones were brutally killed," Seibeb said. "We arrive not with pen and paper, but with a large tripod, a substantial camera, a sound operator and a camera operator. You must position yourself in front of this grieving individual. The line is very blurred between respecting their privacy and giving them time to grieve while carrying the message to deter would-be offenders."

Sports reporter Chantel Kotze described her career growth at NBC. "I received an education thanks to this institution, which ensured my parents could cover and support my studies," she said. "NBC has seen me grow. Stepping in here in 2015 as a very lost and confused assistant to a producer, I felt empowered. From assistant producer on contract for most of my eight years, I quickly moved into a producer role."