'No whites' ban probed
2008-02-25 14:11
Johannesburg - South Africa's leading
human rights agency is investigating why white journalists were
barred from a briefing with Jacob Zuma, the leader of the ruling
African National Congress (ANC), media reported on Monday.
A number of white reporters were asked to leave or refused
entry at an event on Friday sponsored by the Forum of Black
Journalists (FBJ).
Black, Indian and other non-white journalists were allowed
into the briefing, where Zuma was the guest speaker.
South Africa's Talk Radio 702 said it had formally
complained to the South African Human Rights Commission after
one of its reporters was told to leave the event in a
Johannesburg suburb.
The commission is expected to make an announcement later on
Monday, the Citizen newspaper reported.
The incident has stirred controversy in South Africa, with
many drawing comparisons with the racist policies of the
apartheid system, which was dismantled before the 1994 all-race
elections.
The FBJ has defended its decision to exclude whites.
Abbey Makoe, the chairperson of the FBJ's steering committee,
told Talk Radio 702 that black journalists had been
disadvantaged and sidelined historically and needed a forum to
discuss their issues separately.
Zuma, who has accused the media of biased reporting in their
coverage of his corruption case, told reporters at the briefing
that he saw nothing wrong with the exclusionary policy, though
he added that it had been the FBJ's decision.
Zuma is due to go on trial in August for corruption, fraud,
money-laundering and racketeering in connection with an arms
deal scandal. He is accused of accepting hundreds of thousands
of dollars in bribes from a French arms manufacturer.
He denies the charges and has described the case against him
as a political conspiracy by officials close to President Thabo
Mbeki, whom he defeated for the ANC leadership in a bitter
contest in December.
- Reuters