Thinus Ferreira
The new Canal+ Africa boss, David Mignot, has made his first public appearance at an event - and in Namibia and not in South Africa where Canal+ Africa is now headquartered - to celebrate MultiChoice Namibia's pandering upcoming documentary about that country's new president.
David Mignot told the assembled African politicians, with some who were invited and flew to Namibia, that Canal+ Africa is committed to "truthful, dignified and locally-rooted storytelling" and that the documentary is proof of this.
David Mignot, who has not yet met South Africa's media face-to-face, flew to Namibia to speak at the premiere showing on 9 October of MultiChoice Namibia's new, flattering and bizarre political documentary Netumbo: A Leader Beyond Politics which is about Namibia's current president, Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah.
The timing feels off since Netumbo: A Leader Beyond Politics, screened at Ster-Kinekor Grove Mall in Windhoek, is not a reflective or historical documentary but an effusive and pandering MultiChoice Namibia production about the country's fifth and current president.
Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah came into office in Namibia in March this year.
The premiere screening happened after the MultiChoice Namibia and Canal+ Africa senior executives, including David Mignot, had a sit-down meeting with Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah earlier the same day last week.
The premiere screening was David Mignot first physical outing to speak publicly before the media and he mentioned specifically how Canal+ Africa is dedicated to "truthful, dignified and locally-rooted storytelling".
According to David Mignot, Netumbo: A Leader Beyond Politics will "surely inspire generations to come, and reflect on an era where Namibian voices and visions deserve to be on the world stage".
Canal+ Africa and MultiChoice Namibia made sure that several other African politicians attended the screening of the effusive political documentary, including the current Botswana president Duma Boko and a former Botswana president, as well as several Namibian politicians.
Roger Gertze, MultiChoice Namibia managing director, who also spoke at the premiere screening, said that the pay-TV operator, now owned by Canal+, feels very privileged to make a documentary about Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah as Namibia's current president.
Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah said she liked the documentary about her. "The documentary, the way I liked it, is more about telling the history of Namibia's liberation struggle. I really like it that way because that is what we need our people to know - the current and the future generations."
Netumbo: A Leader Beyond Politics is produced by the Namibian production company Joe Vision Productions.
According to MultiChoice Namibia, Netumbo: A Leader Beyond Politics "offers an intimate and inspiring look into Her Excellency’s life through decades of public service to her historic election as Namibia’s first woman Head of State in March 2025".
Netumbo: A Leader Beyond Politics will be aired on Zambezi Magic on 29 October at 20:30.
