'I support Zim press freedom'

2007-06-05 17:01

Cape Town - African National Congress deputy president Jacob Zuma on Tuesday declared his support for a call for press freedom in Zimbabwe.

"I support what the head of this organisation has said in terms of press freedom in Zimbabwe," he told media representatives from around the world at a World Editors' Forum lunch in Cape Town.

"I think that call is perfect."

On Monday, Gavin O' Reilly, president of the World Association of Newspapers, which is meeting in parallel with the editors forum, urged President Thabo Mbeki to use his influence to curb "flagrant abuses of freedom" in Zimbabwe.

The WAN board adopted on Tuesday a resolution condemning continuing harassment, threats and violence against journalists in Zimbabwe, and what it said was the government's policy to "asphyxiate" the last private media there.

Zuma said it was important that press freedom be respected, and that it was wrong to follow the route that the apartheid government did in banning newspapers.

Balancing press freedom

"I didn't agree with it in South Africa. I'm not going to agree with it in any other country," he said.

However, he defended South Africa's quiet diplomacy towards Zimbabwe, saying he did not think it was this country's right to act as a "big induna" issuing instructions.

Zuma also used the opportunity to take the media to task on the issue of "responsible" reporting.

Among those in his audience were cartoonist Zapiro, who he is suing for R15 million for defamation, and representatives of other newspapers, who he is also taking to court.

He said press freedom had to be balanced with factual and objective reporting, fairness, and respect for human rights and human dignity.

'Apologies cost nothing'

Nor should the media allow themselves to be used as a tool by political leaders, organisations or governments.

Once they allowed this, they would lose objectivity and gradually lose credibility.

He said the media were fortunate to have organisations such as WAN to highlight violations of press freedom and to campaign for the rights of journalists.

"However, ordinary citizens do not have organisations representing them if their rights have been violated by the media. They have little recourse if they are on the receiving end of incorrect or malicious reporting," he said.

"It takes nothing away to apologise when you have made a mistake. In fact if you did so, it earns you respect."

An 'issue of respect'

He said the media had gone overboard in their reporting on him, and he believed he needed to do something to address the issue.

He was not suing because he had been pushed by "other interests", or because he wanted the money.

It was the issue of respect for the dignity of other people and the right to privacy, Zuma said.

In its reporting, the media had tried and literally convicted him even after a judge agreed he was innocent.

In reporting like that, the media were actually threatening their own freedom, Zuma said.

- SAPA