South Africa

(IPI/IFEX) – The following is an IPI letter to President Thabo Mbeki: H.E. Thabo Mbeki President of South Africa The Presidency Union Buildings, West Wing Government Avenue Pretoria 0001 Republic of South Africa Fax: (+ 2712) 323 82 46 / 2573 Vienna, 29 January 2003 Your Excellency, The International Press Institute, the global network of […]

(MISA/IFEX) – On 23 January 2003, two South African Broadcasting Corporation (SABC) journalists were allegedly assaulted and held captive by teachers at a school near Lomanyaneng, North West Province. Radio reporters Lexi Herholdt and Nthabiseng Makhongoana told MISA’s South African chapter (MISA-SA) that they were investigating a story about a school principal who refused to […]

(FXI/IFEX) – The following is a 22 October 2002 FXI statement: FXI welcomes changes to Broadcasting Amendment Bill The Freedom of Expression Institute (FXI) welcomes most of the changes made by the South African Parliamentary Portfolio Committee on Communications to the controversial Broadcasting Amendment Bill. The changes were made during deliberations from 15 to 18 […]

(MISA/IFEX) – The South African Press Association (SAPA) offices were robbed in the early hours of 20 October 2002, bringing editorial operations to a complete halt. Reports say that at least five men, one of them armed with a pistol, overpowered a gate guard and forced their way into the Greenside-Johannesburg editorial offices of the […]

(MISA/IFEX) – A last-minute amendment to the controversial Broadcasting Amendment Bill appears to have lessened fears of government control of the South African Broadcasting Corporation (SABC) and prevented a threatened Constitutional Court challenge by opposition parties and media freedom organisations. Under the amendment, which was introduced on 16 October 2002, the SABC Board will fall […]

(MISA/IFEX) – The “Mail & Guardian” newspaper has scored an important victory in a R3 million (approx. US$288,000) defamation suit filed by South Africa Housing Minister Sankie Mthembi-Mahanyele against the newspaper. On 27 September 2002, the court ruled that a cabinet minister should not have the standing to sue for defamation when criticised in relation […]

(FXI/IFEX) – In a press release, FXI strongly condemned the physical attacks, harassment and death threats issued against journalists working for the African Eye News Service (AENS) in Nelspruit, Mpumalanga Province. The FXI wrote to the Mpumalanga Member of Executive Council (MEC) for Safety and Security, Thabang Makwetla, calling for action against the perpetrators. In […]

(ARTICLE 19/IFEX) – The following is a 26 September 2002 ARTICLE 19 letter to Net Kekana, chairperson of Parliament’s Communications Portfolio Committee: Mr Net Kekana Chairperson of Parliament’s Communications Portfolio Committee Via facsimile: 021 403 38 45 Johannesburg, 26th September 2002, Dear Sir, ARTICLE 19, The Global Campaign for Free Expression, an independent and non […]

(MISA/IFEX) – On 19 September 2002, Sina Sebetha, an Edenvale traffic officer in Gauteng province, threatened “Sunday Times” journalist Sabelo Ndlangisa. She told the journalist she would make him “vanish if he did not leave her alone.” Sebetha called the offices of the “Sunday Times” and left a recorded message: “You! You will vanish. They’ll […]

(FXI/IFEX) – On 13 September 2002, FXI released a statement welcoming the removal of a gag order imposed by the Johannesburg High Court against a community challenging the continued pollution of their land, air and water sources by South Africa’s iron and steel giant Iscor. FXI had already planned to challenge the gag order at […]

(FXI/IFEX) – On 19 August 2002, FXI released a press statement expressing deep concern about the Johannesburg High Court’s 15 August decision to ban a biography written by former journalist Allan Greenblo on the life and dealings of businessman Sol Kerzner. This is the second time that the High Court has slapped a ban on […]

(FXI/IFEX) – The following is an FXI statement: FXI’s preliminary response to Broadcasting Amendment Bill The Freedom of Expression Institute is deeply disturbed by numerous provisions contained in the Broadcasting Amendment Bill, especially surrounding the South African Broadcasting Corporation (SABC). The Bill seeks to amend provisions contained in the Broadcasting Act of 1999, which has […]

(FXI/IFEX) – The new vice chancellor of the University of South Africa (Unisa) and former chairperson of the South African Human Rights Commission, Barney Pityana, who oversaw the hearings into racism in the media, has accused the “Mail and Guardian” newspaper of racism and is threatening to take it to court for defamation. In the […]

(FXI/IFEX) – The following is a 16 April 2002 FXI press statement: 16 April 02 Police must act on the assault on journalists in KwaZulu Natal The Freedom of Expression Institute (FXI) calls upon the police to look into the case of City Press newspaper reporters who were allegedly assaulted in KwaZulu Natal as a […]

(FXI/IFEX) – The following is a 28 March 2002 FXI media statement: FXI condemns gagging order in ISCOR environmental case in Vanderbijlpark 28 March 2002 The Freedom of Expression Institute strongly condemns the gagging order binding iron and steel parastatal ISCOR and sixteen residents of Steel Vally, Vanderbijlpark, to silence over environmental spillages in the […]

(FXI/IFEX) – FXI has expressed shock over the number of books that South Africans are unable to access due to the existing gap between the current legislation and the ban placed on them during apartheid. There are approximately 18,000 titles on a banned book list drawn up by the apartheid government and listed in a […]