Yaoundé, November 15, 2025 (True Cameroon) — The National Communication Council (NCC) has issued yet another sweeping directive restricting Cameroon’s media environment, ordering all public and private audiovisual outlets to suspend political programmes as the campaign season for the November 30 Regional Council elections begins. The announcement, delivered on November 14 by NCC President Joseph Chebongkeng Kalabubsu, has reignited concerns about the country’s shrinking civic space and the growing difficulty of speaking, reporting, or even thinking freely about politics.
Coming just weeks after a contested presidential election shadowed by allegations of fraud, irregularities, and unrest, the NCC’s decision feels less like regulation and more like preemptive censorship. At a moment when citizens are demanding clarity, accountability, and honest reporting, authorities have chosen to switch off the microphones.
This is not neutrality.
This is silencing.
I. A Ban Framed as “Fairness” Yet Timed to Block Scrutiny
The NCC claims its decision is meant to preserve fairness during the regional campaign.
But fairness requires:
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pluralism
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transparency
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open debate
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equal access to information
Suspending political programming achieves the opposite. It shields:
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electoral institutions from public questioning,
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candidates from journalistic scrutiny,
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and the ruling establishment from accountability.
In a political landscape already dominated by one party, shutting down debate does not level the playing field it empties the field entirely.
II. A Growing Pattern: Regulate the Press, Ignore the Problems
This is not an isolated directive. It fits a broader pattern:
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warnings
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sanctions
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program suspensions
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intimidation tactics
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“ethics” summons used as political tools
These pressures have pushed many journalists into self-censorship, fearing that a live guest, a phrase, or even a tone might attract sanctions. As a result, programs that were once vibrant spaces of debate have become timid, diluted, or outright silenced.
The NCC’s latest order simply formalizes what newsrooms already feel:
Cameroon's political discussion is allowed only when it poses no threat.
III. Why Ban Political Programmes Now?
The timing is revealing.
After a fractious presidential election and rising public frustration, the NCC’s instruction does not appear designed to protect electoral integrity.
It appears designed to protect the narrative.
In the absence of political programmes:
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broadcasters cannot examine electoral malpractice
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analysts cannot dissect governance failures
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citizens cannot hear alternative viewpoints
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newly elected officials avoid public accountability
The government’s preferred story becomes the only story.
IV. The Unspoken Reality: Cameroon’s Media Is Not Free
Cameroon’s media landscape is already constrained by:
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limited access to official information
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fear of administrative sanctions
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economic fragility of private media
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arrests of journalists
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politicized regulatory bodies
By suspending political programming during a tense electoral period, the NCC confirms what many already believe:
Cameroon’s media is regulated not for ethics, but for obedience.
When journalists are prevented from discussing the issues affecting their country, the public is not being protected it is being kept in the dark.
V. The Consequences: Democracy Cannot Function Without Debate
A functioning democracy depends on:
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informed citizens
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critical debate
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competing ideas
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journalists able to investigate those in power
When the state restricts these elements, elections become rituals rather than real democratic exercises.
Cameroon today faces:
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declining civic trust
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lack of transparency
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growing political tension
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a controlled public narrative
Silencing political programming at this moment instead of allowing rigorous, responsible, fact-based discussion deprives citizens of the information needed to participate meaningfully in public life.
Conclusion: Cameroon’s Civic Space Is Narrowing One Directive at a Time
The NCC’s decision to suspend political programmes is not just a media issue.
It is a democracy issue.
When the press is silenced, the people are silenced.
When debate is banned, accountability evaporates.
When journalism is regulated by fear, truth becomes optional.
Cameroon does not need fewer political programmes.
It needs more voices, more questions, more transparency, and more courage from institutions tasked with serving the public not protecting those who govern it.
A nation cannot move forward when its citizens are told to listen quietly.
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