With a solid reputation in the industry, Williams was station manager at Base FM for several years before making the move to Namibia FM 99.
DMH CEO Chrisna Greeff was unable to comment on changes in the station's management, saying that the negotiation process with regard to Williams' retrenchment package were still underway.
 
Williams too, was wary of jeopardizing her negotiating leverage at this time and remained tight lipped.
The station has not been performing well financially in recent years and DMH recently cancelled plans to sell the station, vowing to "sort out the management at their own pace, making it work by hook or crook."
 
In the wake of William's retrenchment, several staff members at the station have resigned in solidarity including Laurika Williams, Wimpie Stander and Diana 'Destiny' Amunyela.
Further industry whisperings have it that Greef's daughter, Christine Hugo will soon take over from Williams as station manager.
National Director of the Media Institute of Southern Africa's Namibia Chapter (MISA-Namibia) Marbeline Mwashekele says this is indeed a setback in terms of increasing women's representation in positions of leadership.
 
"MISA Namibia seeks to foster a free, independent and diverse media, and also supports programmes that promote gender equality in and through the media. Giving voice to all segments of society is intrinsic to participation, citizenship and in turn to democracy.
 
"It is thus important that we create an environment where the voices of women and men are equally heard, on all subjects, in the news, and equally for woman to be in positions to make decisions on subjects concerning the news."
 
Mwashekele says it is also important that women are given opportunities to prove themselves in these positions of leadership.
"As it is already in Namibia, women's voices are under-represented in the news and are virtually missing from certain topic areas. Older women are invisible in both the print and electronic media, and this may very well have to do with the absence of more women in positions of decision making", says Mwashekele. //End//


Reagan Malumo
Programme Specialist: Media Freedom Monitoring and Research
Media Institute of Southern Africa (MISA) Regional Secretariat
21 Johann Albrecht St
Private Bag 13386
Windhoek
Namibia
Phone: +264 61 232 975
Fax: +264 61 248 016
Mobile: +264 81 311 2626
Official Email: reagan(@)misa.org
Private Email: reagan32002(@)yahoo.com

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