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SA journos get more stick
10/02/2004 01:01 - (SA)
Jan-Jan Joubert, Beeld
Cape Town - Foreign Affairs Minister Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma has, like her education colleague Kader Asmal, blasted South Africa's journalists.
She lashed out during an informal session for journalists at those who questioned Zimbabwe's controversial new media laws.
"Why so many questions on Zimbabwe? Would there have been any problem over
this legislation if it had been another place? "It is not about control over
the media, but I am not here to explain their policy. "If it had occurred in Britain, and the British Constitutional Court
said the legislation was in order, you (the South African media) would have accepted it, just like you accept everything from there." Dlamini-Zuma added that South Africa had no plans to discuss the legislation with president Robert Mugabe's government.
She said the legislation in terms of which journalists must be
accredited by the Zimbabwean government before they can do their work, met constitutional requirements - according to the
highest Zimbabwean Court.
"We accept it. Should we not accept it? What is really the issue? Has any
journalist been refused registration? Have reasons been given for that?" she
asked. Dlamini-Zuma did not refer once in her summary of the government's foreign affairs policy of the past decade to Zimbabwe. She rather concentrated on other issues, such as the African Union. Political negotiations
Asked about the latest information on the political negotiations in Zimbabwe, she replied: "I am not Zimbabwe's minister of foreign affairs. Mister Stan Mudenge is.
Perhaps you should phone him sometimes," she said, referring the media back
to a media conference in December when President Robert Mugabe indicated his
party was having informal meetings with the opposition.
"The Zimbabwean constitution is under discussion and leaders from both
groups are involved. Formal negotiations will follow and the media will be
informed when that happen."
Dlamini-Zuma once again defended South-Africa's policy on Haiti and
indicated that the debts of African countries, which borrowed money during
the apartheid era from South Africa, would probably be waived.
- Beeld
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