South Africa

South Africa’s newly enacted regulations criminalising the sharing of false or inaccurate information related to COVID-19 have severe penalties, but also have the potential of repressing freedom of expression.

This South African photographer uses her portraits of black lesbian women to provide a platform where they can celebrate their identity.

Journalist Karim Brown is being swamped with insulting texts, threatening phone calls and hate messages on social networks by members of the Economic Freedom fighters, South Africa’s third largest party.

Media freedom advocacy organisation are concerned by South African opposition politician Julius Malema’s use of threats and insults against media outlets and singling out of journalists. Malema has been condemned for his attempts to intimidate the press.

A Johannesburg court has granted a South African journalists’ request for an order to stop a campaign of intimidation by activists from “Black First, Land First” (BLF), who picketed the home of an editor and published a list of journalists to target.

SABC Journalist Jamaine Krige unveils the challenges of covering one of the most important post-apartheid movements to rock South Africa: #FeesMustFall.

Seven South African Broadcasting Corporation (SABC) journalists and one contracted freelance journalist were fired between July 18-19 for protesting an SABC management decision not to report on violent protests.

Protests in Pretoria have turned violent, with members of the media being threatened with violence by both the protesters and the police should they capture images of looting, and foreign nationals’ businesses being targeted.

The Committee’s recommendations mark a major advancement in the struggle for privacy of communications in South Africa. It is now up to civil society and popular movements to ensure that abuses are stopped.

The raid came three days after the Suzman Foundation and the organization Freedom Under Law submitted a court application calling for the suspension of Lieutenant-General Mthandazo Berning Ntlemeza, head of the South African Police Services Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation, also known as the Hawks.

South Africa’s Cabinet has approved the submission of the films and publications amendment bill despite public outcry that it is guided by policy seeking to curb Internet freedoms. The cabinet said the bill seeks to amend the films and publications act of 1996 by adapting it to technological advances.

A Draft Online Regulation Policy would give authorities control over films and games distributed online, as well as publications containing loosely-described forms of sex, violence and hate speech.

PEN American Center expressed outrage at the harassment and confinement in a mental institution of South African psychologist and novelist Zainub Priya Dala (ZP Dala) exacted in reprisal for her comments in appreciation of the writing of former PEN American Center President Salman Rushdie.

Two journalists were mistreated in separate incidents in the Soweto area of Johannesburg. Three people have been killed since the violent unrest began last week, after a foreign business owner shot a 14-year-old boy accused of trying to rob a shop.

The Centre for Environmental Rights used the country’s Promotion of Access to Information Act to access records from a company accused of dumping illegal hazardous waste.

The appeal of journalist Cecil Motsepe’s criminal conviction on a charge of defamation was heard in the Pretoria High Court on 6 October 2014. This matter had been watched very closely by civil society organisations and free speech forums as a great cause for concern in terms of the implications on freedom of expression