The Namibia Press Agency (NAMPA) is the national news agency of the Republic of Namibia

Namibia

Namibia, officially the Republic of Namibia , is a country in southern Africa whose western border is the Atlantic Ocean. It shares land borders with Angola and Zambia to the north, Botswana to the east and South Africa to the south and east. It gained independence from South Africa on 21 March...

. It was founded in 1987 as "Namibia Press Association" by the SWAPO, and resuscitated after independence

Namibian War of Independence

See also South African Border War.The Namibian War of Independence, also known as the South African Border War, which lasted from 1966 to 1988, was a guerrilla war, which the nationalist South-West Africa People's Organization and others, fought against the apartheid government in South...

 under its current name in 1991. Its operation is regulated by the Namibia Press Agency Act of 1992. The state owned agency is responsible for news distribution and picture services to local and international customers. Up until now, the agency offers text and picture services, but no audio or video material. About 20 journalists and 30 other staff members work for NAMPA. Aside from its Windhoek headquarter, the agency has offices in Swakopmund, Gobabis, Ongwediva/Oshakati, Opuwo and Rundu. Most media in Namibia rely on the services of NAMPA, especially for international news.

In October 2002, the Committee to Protect Journalists

Committee to Protect Journalists

The Committee to Protect Journalists is an independent nonprofit organisation based in New York City that promotes press freedom and defends the rights of journalists.-History:A group of U.S...

asserted that NAMPA has "...long practiced self-censorship on contentious issues", while also accusing the Agency of being a government mouthpiece.