Media Institute of Southern Africa (MISA)

The African Freedom of Expression Exchange (AFEX) is appalled by the endorsement, by the Somali Council of Ministers, of a repressive media bill that severely restricts media operations and content.

The African Declaration on Internet Rights and Freedoms is intended to promote human rights standards and principles of openness in Internet policy formulation and implementation on the continent.

If passed, Mozambique will become the fourth country in southern Africa to adopt an access to information law.

The chairman of Shabelle Media Network and the director of SkyFM have been detained in the National Intelligence and Security Agency’s underground prison, a place where suspected terrorists are being kept.

Access to information is critical in a society that aims to strengthen citizen participation, promote critical thinking and debate, and achieve socio-economic justice. Namibians were not provided access to information on the Third Constitutional Amendment Bill, but were informed by the media, who had to use leaked information.

The harsh sentence follows Makhubu’s and Maseko’s conviction on contempt of court charges for separate news articles criticising the kingdom’s chief justice, Michael Ramodibedi, published in the independent news magazine, The Nation.

It’s been 20 years since Lieutenant Yahya Jammeh overthrew the Gambian government and proclaimed himself President of the Republic. Some of the human rights violations recorded over the last 20 years include the killing of 14 protesters in April 2000 and the killing of journalist Deyda Hydara in 2004.

On 17 July the High Court in Mbabane, Swaziland found Thulani Maseko and Bheki Makhubu guilty of contempt of court in relation to articles published in The Nation magazine, which criticised the conduct of Swaziland’s Chief Justice, Michael Ramodibedi.