(FXI/IFEX) – The following is an FXI media statement: RE: Disciplinary action against freelance journalist and SACP member Dr. Dale McKinley 11 August 2000 The Freedom of Expression Institute expresses its extreme disquiet with disciplinary action being taken by the South African Communist Party against one of its members, Dr. Dale McKinley. The FXI has […]
(FXI/IFEX) – The following is an FXI media statement:
RE: Disciplinary action against freelance journalist and SACP member Dr. Dale McKinley
11 August 2000
The Freedom of Expression Institute expresses its extreme disquiet with disciplinary action being taken by the South African Communist Party against one of its members, Dr. Dale McKinley. The FXI has learned that the SACP has instituted disciplinary proceedings against McKinley for bringing the Party into disrepute and publicly attacking
and questioning the bona fides and integrity of the SACP and its leaders, without seeking to raise these matters in the structures or publications of these organisations. This he had done through a series of articles published in a number of local and international publications.
The FXI notes that the contents of one of the articles was contained in a book written by McKinley in 1997, and action was not taken against him as a result of its publication. We fail to understand why action is being taken now in respect of this article when the material contained therein has been in the public arena for some time. Also, we fail to understand why the SACP is bringing disciplinary proceedings against McKinley for statements made about the ANC and COSATU. In spite of the alliance, the three organisations (ANC, COSATU and the SACP) are separate and discrete organisations with their own constitutions and identities. These inconstancies are extremely worrying in the light of the fact that the SACP is pursuing charges against McKinley in respect of articles that he wrote in his individual capacity as a freelance journalist. In doing so, the SACP is giving the impression that McKinley’s critiques only really started to matter once he began to practice as a freelancer – which he has done since the beginning of the year, and which according to the SACP was where the source of their complaint started – and that their actions are linked directly to his journalistic work. In short, these actions do nothing to inspire either a culture of media freedom or of critical debate.
While the FXI concedes the right of organisations to discipline their members, the SACP disciplinary action contributes to a disturbing trend in a number of leading democratic organisations including the ANC and trade unions. While on the face of it, it may appar that organisations are fully justified in taking their members to task, this kind of action inevitably stifles debate. The organisations mentioned above are critical organisations as regards democracy and governance in the country. They have a central role to play in the
struggle for social and economic justice, especially for workers and the poor. They are tasked with advancing the major transformation issues facing the country, which are complex and often fraught with contradictions. In order to ensure that the best possible policies are put forward a culture of rigorous debate is essential.
