SOUTH WEST REGIONAL ASSEMBLY UNDER SCRUTINY: WHY WERE PRIVATE JOURNALISTS REPORTEDLY EXCLUDED FROM OCTOBER 20 MEETING?

20 Oct 2026 21:10 • 1 source

Summary

Questions mount over transparency, public accountability and the achievements of the Special Status institution under President Zacheus Elango B. The functioning of the South West Regional Assembly has come under renewed scrutiny following reports that private media journalists were ordered out of a meeting of the institution on Tuesday, October 20, 2026, allegedly on the instructions of its President, Zacheus Elango B. The reported incident has raised questions about media freedom, public access to regional deliberations and the Assembly's commitment to transparency, particularly given the public nature of its proceedings as described in the legal framework governing the institution. Created under Cameroon's Special Status arrangements for the two English-speaking regions, the Regional Assemblies were designed to provide a platform for regional governance, deliberation and the consideration of issues affecting local communities. Their work is expected to be conducted in a manner that promotes accountability and allows citizens to understand the decisions being taken in their name. However, the reported exclusion of private journalists from Tuesday's meeting has sparked concerns about whether the South West Regional Assembly is fully embracing these principles. WHY EXCLUDE PRIVATE MEDIA? According to the information available, the Assembly's President has reportedly maintained a practice of inviting only public media representatives to cover its meetings. The reported decision to remove private journalists from the October 20 session has now brought that practice into sharper focus. If confirmed, the incident raises an important question: why should access to the deliberations of a public institution depend on whether a journalist works for a state-owned or privately owned media organisation?

Sources

• List It Africa Insights

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