Disgraced editor and scoundrel journalist, Max Hamata is at it again.

The Independent Newspaper Namibia Reports -

Disgraced editor and scoundrel journalist, Max Hamata is at it again.
May 25th 2012

By Eniotna Kobm

Convicted of defamation of Character by a case brought against him by former Windhoek Mayor Shikongo, disgraced former editor of Informante Newspaper, Max Hamata is at it again, this time through a dubious gossip tabloid named Confidente.
Based on a string of past and pending defamatory law suits against him, death threats for spreading lies, it could be deduced that Max Hamata is arguably the most unethical and hated journalist in Namibia; a title allegedly well deserved according to professional media practitioners who asked for anonymity. Max Hamata has allegedly launched his own newspaper, a dubious gossip tabloid called Confidente, it seems a continuation of “weak and bad journalism with the potential to undermining democratic debate and development” as PhD-fellow in political science and researcher, Alfredo Tjiurimo Hengari, put it in a piece titled Namibia’s Media Landscape is Stuck in Stone Age, published in the Namibian on November 25th 2011. The article analysed the Namibian Media landscape made up of an important number of unqualified journalists and unethical media practitioners.
Max Hamata’s alleged unprincipled journalism led to his forced resignation from the weekly tabloid Informante after he published a story headlined ‘Founding Father flown to Cape Town as prostate cancer spreads’ an article now widely seen as appalling and abuse of Namibia’s freedom of expression and a disrespectful exploitable of information targeting a National Hero and Founding President of a free Namibian nation. This story caused anxiety in many circles, notably amongst the SWAPO ruling party loyalists, who considered the story malicious and factually incorrect, undeniably libellous. Despite the fact that Dr Nujoma’s legal representative demanded an unconditional retraction of the factually wrong story, Hamata in his malicious objective countered with an editorial defending his fabricated news story. Dr Nujoma, it later emerged, was in Henties Bay where he held meetings with business personalities, and Swapo party members in the area, at the time the Informanté story falsely claimed he was in a Cape Town hospital in a critical condition. After the publication of the ‘Dr Nujoma story’ his personal physician Dr Tshali Iithete dismissed speculation that the founding president is seriously ill. “I would like to reassure the public that he is healthy and did not travel to Cape Town as reported.” He further stated that; “I am encouraging responsible journalists and reporters to verify facts with the relevant authorities before reporting,” Dr Iithete wrote, adding that the former Head of State is ‘physically well and healthy’. Minister of Information and Communications Technology Joel Kaapanda also condemned the report, which he described as an invasion of privacy.
The notorious journalist Max Hamata and his publications are well known in the Namibian media landscape for writing anything to capture a reader’s attention and make money at the expense of individuals’ rights in the disguised name of freedom of expression. Thousands of people have suffered defamatory attacks in the media as a result of what had been alleged to be mercenary journalism; that is writing an article to ruin a person’s reputable in exchange for money. Confidente is an instrument that will have Max Hamata continue his deeds and practice of Trash Journalism which in its true definition, spreads false or misleading stories for a variety of reasons by newspapers such as Informante (in the case of Mayor Shikongo and the Nujoma Story) and Confidente (in the case of Freddy Situmbeko’s Cash Money scratch cards falsely reported to be owned by entrepreneur Mr. Mbok and a follow up article falsely claiming rebranding misleading the public to believe Cash Money and Easy Cash are one in the same) and to make money is not always the only reason. Many journalists take delight in spreading fear, hysteria, or crackpot theories but the motivations can be many and varied and sometimes just the desire to ruin someone else's life is enough motivation.
Since his departure from Informante there is an improved quality, fairness and balance in the articles published.
We have reliably learned Max Hamata’s Confidente newspaper barely entering the market is already facing several pending defamation suits. Namibia’s freedom of speech is violated by journalists without scruples and any attempt to rein in a scoundrel journalist is seen as an attempt at Namibia’s constitutional right to Freedom of speech. Should the deliberate publishing of a false story be criminalised? Many citizens feel that those making money from writing unverified and false stories should be locked up, as it is a crime to spread false information.
Confidente’s owner and editor Max Hamata does not seem to fear the law or respect individual’s constitutional rights, arrested in June 2007 for alcohol abuse, driving under the influence of alcohol, this notorious journalist’s legal woes do not seem to have any effect on him. Perhaps he feels untouchable; in an online article published on 28th of June 2011, by MISA (Media Institute of Southern Africa) titled “Max Hamata’s chickens come home to roost”, the article summarizes the embattled, notorious journalist’s woes that led to his constructive sacking from Trustco Media.

Now in control of his own newspaper, it is business as usual at Confidente.