Media tribunal worries Sanef
2008-05-03 11:23
Johannesburg - The South African National Editors' Forum on Friday voiced concern at the African National Congress's proposed media tribunal, on the eve of World Press Freedom Day.
It believed self-regulation was the best mechanism to ensure a free and open press, Sanef reiterated in a statement.
It supported the existing institutions charged with self-regulation of the media, it said.
"Sanef furthermore commits itself to ongoing engagement with the South African government to review Section 205 of the Criminal Procedures Act and its adverse effects on the media...," it said.
It was also committed to a review of all legislation which impeded the media in fulfilling its constitutionally-entrenched functions.
Sanef said it upheld the principle that freedom of information and press freedom were the foundations of democratic discourse and open and informed debate.
Their existence enabled governments to be transparent and accountable, and citizens to be informed and participate meaningfully in the conduct of affairs and in so doing to be empowered and their lives enriched.
Right to freedom of expression
Noting that World Press Freedom Day coincided this year with the 60th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, pointed out that Article 19 specified that everyone had the right to freedom of expression.
"Article 19 states that this right includes freedom to hold opinions without interference and to seek, receive and impart information and ideas through any media and regardless of frontiers."
Sanef called on South Africans to uphold its principles and to help spread appreciation of its values throughout the continent "where there are many cases of repression of freedom".
In particular, Sanef called for the abolition of the "insult laws" ostensibly designed to protect the reputations of presidents and premiers.
Instead, these had been "perverted" to prevent news access and dissemination and to protect lesser government officials such as the heads of the police and military.
"[Sanef] calls for countries in Africa which have punished and beaten journalists under the cloak of these laws to abolish them and to release journalists jailed and fined under them."
- SAPA