Namibia's NBC News removes Elmarie Kapunda and Jessica Kaimu from their on-air roles indefinitely after cringeworthy fight with both to undergo 'on-air training'; says they won't 'be dismissed from the services of the NBC'.

by Thinus Ferreira

Namibia's National Broadcasting Corporation (NBC) has removed both NBC News anchor Elmarie Kapunda and sports presenter Jessica Kaimu from the airwaves indefinitely following their eye-popping and extremely awkward on-air spat (see it here) during a live broadcast that got seen by millions.

The bizarre on-air fight between Elmarie Kapunda and Jessica Kaimu happened during a live news broadcast on NBC's Namibia News programme when Elmarie Kapunda introduced and switched over for sports news to Jessica Kaimu but angered her colleague when she dared to say too much for Jessica's liking.

"No, you're not going to do that. You're just going to greet me, and say, 'Take it away'," Jessica snipped.

Elmarie Kapunda deadpanned: "Jessica, we are live", after which both just stared silently until a technical director cut to commercial.

The cringe-worthy on-air moment was mocked and re-enacted by SABC News (DStv 404) presenters Sakina Kamwendo and Vaylen Kirtley (see it here) a day after the video clip went viral. 

Lazarus Jacobs, the chairperson of NBC's board, initially lied to CNN International, and said that Elmarie Kapunda and Jessica Kaimu wouldn't be removed from their positions. By Thursday they were gone from the airwaves on NBC although they remain employed.

Both presenters would apparently be undergoing further "on-air training".

Namibia's New Era daily newspaper reported that Namibia's NBC has dropped Elmarie Kapunda and Jessica Kaima indefinitely from their presenting roles. NBC management and senior staffers at the broadcaster saw the incident as "highly embarrassing".

NBC isn't responding to media enquiries.

NBC on social media in a curt statement said that "Due to numerous queries being sent to the NBC regarding the matter of the two presenters Elmarie Kapunda and Jessica Kaimu the NBC would like to officially set the record straight".

"These two colleagues are part and parcel of the NBC family. At no point was there ever talk of dismissing these colleagues from the services of the NBC. Their employment thus as anchors at the NBC is intact."

ALSO READ: ‘Sakina, we’re live’: The SABC's Morning Live presenters mock Namibia's NBC presenters Jessica and Elmarie after their awkward on-air spat.

‘Sakina, we’re live’: The SABC's Morning Live presenters mock Namibia's NBC presenters Jessica and Elmarie after their awkward on-air spat.

by Thinus Ferreira

South Africa's public broadcaster, known for several of its own on-air gaffes over the years, on Thursday had some fun mocking its Namibian TV neighbour when the presenters of Morning Live worked in a skit and did their own version of a sensational video that went viral overnight of the awkward on-air fight between two presenters at the Namibian Broadcasting Corporation (NBC).

On Wednesday night a clip surfaced of the cringe-worthy interaction between Elmarie Kapunda, a news anchor on NBC's nightly TV news programme on Namibia's public broadcaster, and the sports presenter Jessica.

After Elmarie apparently "intruded" on the content or lines that Jessica wanted to say, Jessica started to scold Elmarie  with a "No,we are not going to do that! You're just going to greet me and say, 'Take it away", after which Elmarie had to remind her fellow presenter: "Jessica, we're live". 

Awkward silence, dead air and cold stares followed, after which the NBC News technical director cut to a commercial break.

Namibia's NBC has so far not released any statement about the incident and it's not clear whether any of the on-air talent has been suspended on taken leave.

On Thursday, Morning Live, broadcast on SABC2 and SABC News (DStv 404) reported about the incident in its daily trending topics. Later anchor Sakina Kamwendo and presenter Vaylen Kirtley had fun poking fun at their NBC colleagues' on-air moment.

Sakina Kamwendo and Vaylen Kirtley substituted their names and Vaylen had to tell her colleague: "Sakina, we're live", after which Sakina blankly stared into the Auckland Park TV camera for a few seconds - after which she cracked a smile.

On Wednesday night the SABC and SABC had its own on-air problem when anchor Vuyo Mvoko suddenly had to deal with an unexpected connection blackout during the The Watchdog timeslot:

The news reader, Leonard Witbeen on Namibia's public broadcaster, NBC, removed after pornographic videos surface.

Leonard, Witbeen, a TV presenter in Namibia on that country's public broadcaster the Namibian Broadcasting Corporation (NBC) has been taken off air after the discovery that pornographic videos in which he features have been circulating in public.

The country's The Namibian reports that Leonard Witbeen will apparently be meeting with NBC executives on Friday about his broadcasting future.

Leonard Witbeen features in 5 pornographic videos have been posted to a pornographic website between 2018 and 2019 according to the newspaper, with one which was uploaded on 27 April which has been viewed 16 963 times by the time it was deleted on Thursday.

Leonard Witbeen is a NBC news reader and previously involved with NBC's morning show, Good Morning Namibia.

The Namibian quotes anonymous sources saying that "a decision was taken that for now at least, he would not be put on the schedule".

NBC's Vezenga Kauraisa, the broadcaster's HR executive, said that the broadcaster only recently became aware of the matter and started an internal investigation. The publication couldn't reach Witbeen for comment.