Peneyambeko Jonas
Social media users who create and spread false or defamatory information about other people could face legal consequences, lawyer Sisa Namandje has warned.
Namandje, the Founder and Senior Director of Sisa Namandje & Co. Inc., was speaking at a public lecture hosted by the International University of Management (IUM) at its Ongwediva Campus on Friday, 25 September 2026.
The lecture was held under the theme “The Phenomenon of Fake News and Unwarranted Violation of Individual Dignity in Namibia.”
According to Namandje, the growth of social media has created what he described as “fake news entrepreneurs” who use online platforms to spread information that can damage the reputation and dignity of others.
He warned that people who deliberately spread false or defamatory statements with the intention of humiliating others could face legal consequences, as such conduct may amount to a crime.
Namandje’s warning comes at a time when social media platforms are increasingly being used to share information about individuals, including allegations and personal matters that may not have been verified.
However, IUM second-year History and Geography student Olivia Hamupembe said the discussion should also consider the backgrounds and experiences of people who engage in online gossip and humiliation.
“I think we also need to check and consider the background where these people are coming from,” Hamupembe said.
She referred to families where children grew up after the death of their fathers, while their mothers were accused of witchcraft without evidence that they had caused the deaths.
According to Hamupembe, such experiences can leave families with unresolved emotional pain.
She said some children may grow up in toxic households with parents who have not dealt with their own trauma. She argued that some people later take their frustrations to social media, where they accuse, shame, insult and humiliate others.
“These people’s dignity was not represented,” Hamupembe said, adding that some people may be responding to unhealthy family and social experiences through gossip and attacks on others online.
She said the problem should therefore not only be viewed from a legal perspective, but should also be understood from a social and psychological perspective.
Another concern was raised by Nambata Anghuo, who questioned how authorities can deal with anonymous social media pages created specifically to gossip about individuals.
Anghuo pointed to platforms such as Facebook and Instagram, where some pages are used to publish allegations and personal information about other people.
She asked how courts and other institutions can hold the people behind such pages accountable when their identities are difficult to establish.
The concern highlights one of the challenges created by social media: while information can spread quickly, identifying the person who originally created or published it can be difficult.
The public lecture therefore brought together legal and social concerns surrounding fake news, online gossip and the protection of individual dignity.
While Namandje focused on the possible legal consequences of spreading defamatory information, Hamupembe called for greater attention to the personal and family experiences that may influence people’s behaviour online.
The discussion suggests that addressing online abuse may require both legal accountability and efforts to understand the social and emotional factors behind it.
penny@eaglefm.com.na
