The Namibian
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| Type | Daily |
|---|---|
| Format | Broadsheet |
| Editor-in-chief | Tangeni Amupadhi |
| Founded | 30 August 1985 |
| Language | English, Oshiwambo |
| Headquarters | Windhoek West |
| Website | www |
The Namibian is the largest daily newspaper in Namibia. It is published in English and Oshiwambo.
The newspaper was established in 1985 by Gwen Lister as a weekly newspaper reliant on support of donors, which aimed to promote Namibian independence from South Africa. Its first edition appeared on 30 August of that year with a print run of 10,000.The Namibian became a daily newspaper on 1 April 1989.
On the 15th anniversary of its foundation, United Nations Secretary General Kofi Annan praised the newspaper: "The Namibian worked courageously in difficult and often dangerous conditions. Since then, it has contributed immeasurably to press freedom and nation-building in Namibia. Throughout, it has maintained its integrity and independent stance."
The newspaper exposed human rights violations by South Africa's occupying forces and was thus perceived as overly critical and pro-SWAPO by the South African government. Even the name of the newspaper irritated the South African administration as they preferred the land to be called South West Africa, whereas Namibia was a notion closely related to the independence movement.
There were several incidents of violence against The Namibian's offices, leased from anti-apartheid activist and architect Kerry McNamara, in the weeks after its foundation. Shooting at the building necessitated the installation of bullet-proof glass, and there were several firebombing and teargassing attacks. The newspaper offices were attacked by the Afrikaner Wit Wolwe vigilante group in October 1988. The newspaper's offices were almost burned down. South Africa's Civil Co-operation Bureau planned to poison editor Lister, the newspaper was boycotted by the white business community, and "journalists and sympathisers" of The Namibian were denied entry in shops all over the country.
The offices of the newspaper were again devastated by a phosphorus grenade attack shortly after Namibian independence in 1990 by a right-wing counterrevolutionary group whose plot to unseat SWAPO was covered by The Namibian. However, the critical approach of the newspaper was also disliked by the SWAPO government.Dirk Mudge, head of the South African-controlled government from 1978 to 1989 wrote at the occasion of the newspaper's 10th anniversary:
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