Browsing by Author "Mnubi-Mchombu, Chiku"

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    Accessing government information in Namibia as a human right issue
    (University of Namibia, 2015) Nakuta, John; Mnubi-Mchombu, Chiku
    There is general consensus that access to information is indispensable for a functional democracy. It is for this reason that access to information has been recognised and guaranteed as a fundamental human right in various international, regional and national instruments. The right to access to information is not explicitly guaranteed in the Namibian Constitution but is claimable through article 144 of since Namibia acceded and/or ratified various international human rights instruments which provide for this right. This article evaluates the question as to whether access to information is regarded as a human rights issue in Namibia. In determining this, the paper analysed the findings of the pilot study of the baseline study on human rights in Namibia with that of the main study with a specific focus on the theme dealing with access to information. Both studies found that it is almost as easy as it is difficult to access government information in Namibia. Both studies also show that elderly respondents and those with no formal education found it more difficult to access government information. Both studies show that the media was considered to be the main source of government policies, programmes and services. A mere 4 percent of the respondents in both studies indicated that they use libraries as a source for accessing public information. Distance to government departments and rude members of staff/poor service delivery were listed as the main barriers to accessing public information. Respondents in the pilot study listed outdated website content as their third major barrier, whereas respondents in the main study singled out too much bureaucracy as their third highest impediment to government information. The article asserts that the current situation whereby obtaining government information is at the discretion and disposition of civil servants is untenable and inconsistent with the right to access to information. The paper will explore how Namibians, from all walks of life, access human rights information. The paper is based on research which took place in Windhoek, Namibia in April 2012. The various aspects explored include access to government information and channels used to access information including the mass media. The final part of the paper will investigate barriers to accessing government information. Some recommendations will be made on how to improve access to government information in Namibia.
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    Information needs and seeking behaviour of orphans and vulnerable children and their caregivers, and the role of service providers in Namibia
    (2013) Mnubi-Mchombu, Chiku
    In 2000, world leaders adopted the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) which are aimed at, among other targets, halving extreme poverty and halting the spread of HIV/AIDS by the year 2015. The two MDG goals of eradicating extreme poverty and hunger and combating, HIV/AIDS are relevant to the present study (National Planning Commission, Republic of Namibia, 2004:1). In 2001, the United Nations General Assembly Special Session (UNGASS) on HIV/AIDS met to raise world leaders' awareness of the seriousness of the HIV/AIDS pandemic and also to get their support. One of the key recommendations of the conference was to strengthen the capacity of countries to protect orphans and vulnerable children (OVC) by ensuring access to essential services (Foster, Levine and Williamson, 2005:282; MoRSS, 2007c:6; MoRSS, 2007d: 2; MoRSS, 2008a:191). The present study is set against this background. The purpose of this study was to investigate the information needs and seeking behaviour of OVC and caregivers, and to examine the role of service providers in disseminating information to OVC and caregivers in Namibia. Although several studies focusing on different aspects of the OVC situation have been done, the researcher could not identify any study that focused on the information needs and seeking behaviour of OVC and their caregivers in Namibia and how the two groups satisfy their information needs at present. In order to obtain data from the respondents, the study adopted qualitative and quantitative research methods for data collection. A questionnaire was mailed to the sampled service providers, while interviews were conducted with OVC and caregivers. Focus group discussions were also held with caregivers and key informants in order to explore the general attitudes, feelings, beliefs, experiences and reactions of the research population with respect to information needs and seeking behaviours. The study took place in the rural community of Ohangwena and the urban setting of Khomas. A total of 566 OVC, 70 caregivers, and 18 services providers from both regions took part in the study. A total of eleven focus group discussions took place; eight focus group discussions were held in Ohangwena, while three were in the Khomas region. Both rural and urban OVC indicated that they needed information in order to access financial assistance/grants, child care/support, feeding schemes, and health servtces. The most important information required, according to the OVC from Ohangwena, was information on school development fund exemption, fmancial assistance or grants, health services, child care/support and training opportunities. The OVC from Khomas had similar priorities with the exception of training opportunities, which was replaced with counselling. Both rural and urban OVC consulted relatives, teachers, and friends to satisfy their information needs, indicating that people were their most important source of information. The findings from focus group discussions (FGDs) with caregivers and key informants indicated that there are disparities between rural and urban areas in terms of information access and use based on literacy and education. For example, the rural dwellers cited their need for information on educational support, psychological and counselling services, child care/support, and job opportunities. In the urban setting of Khomas, educational support and the establishment of small businesses featured as prominent needs. The FGDs revealed that the radio, traditional leaders, regional councillors, friends and relatives were the most important sources and channels of information in Ohangwena, while in Khomas, friends and relatives, community leaders, and regional councillors were the most popular channels. Social workers and the television were also popular channels in Khomas. The findings of the study indicate that service providers provide a range of services to OVC and caregivers in both rural and urban areas. In the rural areas, the majority of the supporting organisations had health-related programmes focusing on feeding schemes and nutrition, and HN/AIDS awareness. In urban areas, service providers provided psychosocial support, counselling, and resilience services. The findings reveal that the majority of the service providers used community meetings and public forums to communicate their own information and to create awareness of their services in both regions. The channels that were most frequently used in Ohangwena were community meetings and open forums, while the use of volunteers featured prominently in Khomas. The OVC and caregivers encountered various problems in accessing information, including: long distance to access information and _services; language barrier for printed materials; shortage of service providers in rural areas; lack of coordination of service providers; and bureaucratic red tape from government departments. Major recommendations stemming from the study include: the need for service providers to provide clear information on how to' access the different services that target OVC and caregivers; service providers should collaborate and use mass media channels to disseminate information; the need for a "one stop shop" where all information related to OVC services would be made available; and the need to provide information in local languages. The study concluded that information provision is a crucial resource for OVC and caregivers because it helps them ideJ).tify and take advantage of available services. Conversely, lack of information leads to the lower utilization of available services and increased poverty and disempowerment. Several recommendations are made on how to improve the flow of information to OVC and caregivers to help them easily locate and use facilities and services that have been set up for them either by the government, or by non-governmental organisations and other service providers. The study also proposes a model to improve the provision of information to OVC and caregivers in the two regions.
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    Information needs of women in small businesses in Botswana
    (University of Namibia, 2000) Mnubi-Mchombu, Chiku
    This small, exploratory study investigates information needs of women in small businesses in Botswana in order to establish how these needs arise, and factors which influence information seeking habits. The methodology employed was structured interviews. Stratified sampling was used to target women in the small business sector. Institutions, which serve the small business sector, were also consulted. The identified information needs were business management, sources of financial assistance, business diversification and legal information. The study also found that women obtain most of their business information through informal channels and that women lack awareness of formal information resources. The study makes recommendations on how to design an appropriate information service for women in small businesses.
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    The role of libraries in supporting human rights
    (University of Namibia, 2015) Mnubi-Mchombu, Chiku
    Human Rights can be defined as those basic standards without which people cannot live in dignity as human beings. Human rights are the foundation of freedom, justice and peace. Their respect allows the individual and community to develop fully. Mubangizi (2004) stated that human rights are referred to by various names and phrases. These include fundamental rights, basic rights, natural rights and sometimes common rights. Although these phrases don’t mean the same hing, they are usually used interchangeably. Hubbard (2001:27) defined human rights as universal moral rights that belong equally to all people because they are human beings. It has been stated that, one person’s right to swing his/her arm ends where the other person’s nose begins. (Introduction)