Exclusive interview with Vice-President Ahmed Afif on the occasion of World Press Freedom Day   |03 May 2022

Vice-President Afif answering journalist Vidya Gappy’s questions (Photo: Thomas Meriton)

‘This day calls for freedom but also for responsibility!’

Vice-President Ahmed Afif has expressed satisfaction on how the media in Seychelles is functioning, adding that his government has set the stage for it to grow.

He said this in an exclusive interview with Seychelles NATION newspaper to commemorate World Press Freedom Day today. VP Afif holds the portfolio of information.

Seychelles NATION: What are your views on the quality of media products and services in Seychelles?

Vice-President Afif: I think the quality has improved over time and I think the same of the ability and feeling by reporters to freely ask all types of questions to different politicians, agencies of government at different levels. I think that the journalists’ ability has also improved over time and the government today wants to promote a free, quality and responsible press. Over the years, we have seen improvement but I still believe there is a long way to go.

When information is rolled out, obviously everyone has its own agenda/opinions, but what is important is that the information collected is verified, analysed and the public gets information that is correct. It is upon receiving that information that they can make informed decisions or opinions. It is important that they get the correct information.

From what I have seen (I am not blaming anybody) in some instances, perhaps not enough researches are being done prior to the information being disseminated. At the end of the day, the information that goes out to the public does not necessarily grasp the whole picture to make a reasonable decision. It works both ways and if we all pull together we can improve the quality of information that goes out to the public.

Seychelles NATION: Have you been able to meet with the heads of media organisations or visit their work places?

Vice-President Afif: Yes I have had various opportunities at different moments in time to see the various media institutions as Vice-President. Perhaps, I do not do that enough, but I certainly talk to them regularly. I think there is generally a good rapport and I hope to improve this as time goes on.

Seychelles NATION: In the age of disinformation, do you think that the local media is playing its role of informing and educating the public?

Vice-President Afif: There is indeed quite a lot of disinformation. I think the local media tries its best to get the right information and I think we must also go out a lot more to give information, which is also the aim of the government. We hope that the media at the same time take as much time to research to get information, so that the public – the people we serve ‒ at the end of the day get the best possible service.

Seychelles NATION: There have been a series of attacks on the media recently by your party and government. Do you think it’s healthy and are these attacks well founded?

Vice-President Afif: In some cases, you will find situations where a ministry or department’s point of view after a long interview is not necessarily reflected in the final report that goes out. That could be just a misunderstanding or missing out the essential points.

I think there are instances where there are things that are said in a roundtable discussion which are not necessarily correct. It is the role of whoever is organising the roundtable discussion to ensure that what is actually said is factual and also to say if they are not sure of the information so that the public knows what is factual and not! Opinions are fine, but it always has to be based on correct information that we get.

There have been one or two instances where the media has not necessarily conveyed matters where it concerns the government’s view, which is OK. That is why it is important to have this rapport and there is also the opportunity to correct it where it is not right.

Seychelles NATION: Was it a good idea to close the department of information?

Vice-President Afif: The rationale behind it was to streamline and become more efficient. I think the media continues to operate and as I said overtime the different media outlets have actually improved in what they do. They are not perfect but they are improving. I think, we as a government must continue to interact with the media despite the lack of a department to handle the media. Times have changed, the days are gone when we had a department and where people felt they had to be subservient to that department in terms of media output or quality of journalism. We like to see the press operate in a free environment and to take their responsibilities. That is where we really want to go. We will do whatever is necessary to make sure we have this environment and where it does not work, we talk and try to fix it.

Seychelles NATION:  The theme for this year’s World Press Freedom day is ‘Journalism Under Digital Siege’. What does it represent for you?

Vice-President Afif: I think it is promoting journalism as not the traditional press. Today we live in a fast-evolving era where information is on your phone, social media, on network and it’s on the go. You are not waiting for the paper or the news bulletin to get the information. It is a faster and very dynamic level and that I believe comes with extra responsibility. Whilst it’s rapid, fast and penetrate very quickly, it can also be dangerous if the wrong information is put out. That can convey a very negative image and people can react in many different ways. You can have a very negative instance which is not based on facts and this can result in something undesirable! As we evolve, I think that is a good theme as this is the way to go, but it also comes with greater responsibilities. The press and everybody who interact on social media and give out information should be very responsible on how we disseminate information.

Seychelles NATION: How do you view the future of the media in Seychelles?

Vice-President Afif: I am very positive about the future of the media in Seychelles. For many years, media (particularly official media) has been constrained because it was felt that they had to reflect one and only line, the government’s one. Any views to the contrary would not be tolerated and that not necessarily fall in line with what World Press Freedom Day calls for. This day calls for freedom but also for responsibility. The future is good as we definitely have the political will to ensure that the media is free. It is one of the very important pillars of democracy and press freedom is one of them. I think when you have the political will to tell the media that you are free to express your opinions and to inform the public in a responsible, balanced and objective way – we have set the stage for the media to grow.

Seychelles NATION: What are your wishes for the media community?

Vice-President Afif: I want the media in Seychelles to know that we support them and we appreciate the work they have done over the years. You have been through tough times and we appreciate that you also need the support of the government in terms of access to information, access to the right messages we want to put out. We are here to work with you all to ensure members of the public get good information and we would like the media to produce more researches, balanced materials for the public to get the big picture. The media should also be attentive not to blow a small event into a national crisis! It is important for the public to get the overall picture from the media.

Vidya Gappy