By Subry Govender
Thirty seven years ago on October 19 1977, South Africans experienced one of the most devastating attacks on the freedom of the media in the country.
The homes and offices of journalists were raided and searched; editors and journalists were banned, detained and house-arrested; the Union of Black Journalists (UBJ) and 17 other anti-apartheid organisations were banned and several newspapers were prohibited from continuing their publications. This attack and assault on media freedom - termed "Black Wednesday" - is being observed once again as South Africans celebrate 20 years of media freedom after the attainment of freedom and democracy in 1994. But fears are being expressed that media freedom is not guaranteed in the new South Africa against the background that the Protection of Information Bill (or Secrecy Bill) is just awaiting the signature of President Jacob Zuma to become law. Subry Govender reflects on the media and asks the question whether there's any fears about media freedom in the future. Subry spoke to some senior journalists about whether there's any threat to media freedom.
(UBJ officials at a hotel in Wentworth, Durban, shortly before the UBJ was banned on October 19 1977)
PROTECTION OF INFORMATION BILL - A THREAT TO MEDIA FREEDOM
Ever since the attainment of the new, non-racial and democratic order in South Africa 20 years ago, South Africans have enjoyed and experienced the growth of one of the freest media environments in the world. This is evidenced in both the radio and television sectors and also in the print media.
But concern is now being expressed that the media freedom that is prevalent today faces a serious threat with the Government almost poised to sign into law the Protection of the Information Bill, referred to as the "Secrecy Bill".
The Bill only needs to be signed by President Jacob Zuma.
While the Government says it needs the legislation to prohibit the publication of sensitive information, media practitioners, non-government human rights organisations and opposition parties believe that the latest move is mainly meant to stop the publication of corruption and other excesses within Government.
(Mr Desmond D'sa, senior official of Right To Know and chairperson of the Southern Durban Environmental Alliance)
"Despite the rhetoric coming out of the President's Office that we have one of the freest media in the world, the danger of the Protection of Information Bill spells disaster for that freedom," says Mr Desmond D'sa, a senior leader of the Right To Know organisation.
The organisation was established in 2010 after the Government first introduced the Protection of Information Bill in parliament. The Right to Know organisation is one of several human rights rights groups that is highlighting concerns about the threat to media freedom in the country.
I caught up with Mr D'sa, who is also chairperson of the Southern Durban Environmental Alliance, at his conjested office in Wentworth, south of Durban.
He claims that currently there's an onslaught against the freedom of the media in the new non-racial and democratic South Africa.
"It's clear," he said, "that the present draconian laws that have been introduced by Government will be a complete diversion and obstruction to the democratic process that we have achieved in 1994".
"Every citizen in the country should be the guardian of our constitution and should challenge this draconian measure by a democratic Government. We have to ensure that all the clauses in the constitution relating to media freedom are protected and journalists are protected. We must ensure that this Bill is not signed into law and that this Bill is scrapped."
(Ms Jo Anne Adams, KZN Director of the Right To Know)
The provincial director of the Right To Know in KwaZulu-Natal, Ms Jo Anne Adams, who is based at the University of KwaZulu-Natal in Durban, said if the Bill was signed into law, they would challenge it in the Constitutional Court.
"We will challenge it all the way to the Constitutional Court because it will trample the freedom of speech that we enjoy today," she said.
Ms Adams charged that in addition to the Protection of Information Bill, media freedom in the new democratic South Africa was being trampled by newspaper owners who dictate to journalists as to how they should carry out their work.
"I don't think that too much has changed. The media has taken on a different face, there's things like 'subshine news'. How many journalists go into communities and find out how they are living and how certain things are affecting their daily lives.
"I have not seen any articles in newspapers recently questioning why so many people are living in informal settlements and why is it taking so long for them to receive RDP houses. The fact that the people don't have water and electricity are some of the concerns that journalists should be reflecting in their newspapers regularly. But because these newspapers are closely aligned to the powers that be, they don't allow journalists to carry out their work dutifully."
(Ms Judy Sandison, senior official of SANEF)
'WE ARE CONCERNED ABOUT THE FUTURE OF MEDIA FREEDOM"
The South African National Editors Forum (or SANEF) is one of the journalist organisations that has been in the forefront of the struggles against the threat to media freedom. It has held numerous meetings with the Government and ministers to ensure that the hard-fought freedom of the media is not circumscribed in any way.
Ms Judy Sandison, a veteran journalist who has been both a radio and television reporter and editor for the past 40 years, is a senior executive member of SANEF. She said despite the fact that there were grooming a new group of committed journalists, they were concerned at moves by the Government to circumscribe the media.
"It is a serious concern for SANEF," she said.
"We have held many meetings with with the various Ministers of Justice over the years. We have had some changes after meetings with various government ministries in relation to the secrecy bill. Some changes were made but we are still not happy with it, it's very restrictive."
(Mr Nhlanganipho Zulu, Head of SABC News in KZN)
"SECRECY BILL SHOULD NOT BE SIGNED"
Mr Nhlangonipho Zulu, 58, is a senior journalist who said he had experienced the oppression of the media prior to 1994. Zulu is now the Regional Editor of the state SABC broadcaster in the KwaZulu-Natal province of South Africa.
He said journalists currently experienced serious problems in obtaining sensitive government information. This would be aggravated once the secrecy bill was signed into law by the President.
"The most worry we have as journalists is that information is often difficult to get because it is restricted," he said.
"Issues of corruption and many more other things where that is rife and you would find a situation whereby you may not neccessarily be able to pubish things without confrontation with powers that be."
(MR DENNIS PATHER)
"FIGHT THE SECRECY BILL JUST AS WE FOUGHT APARTHEID"
One of the senior journalists who has been in the profession for more than 40 years as editor of several mainline newspapers is Dennis Pather of Durban. After working for publications such as the Leader and Graphic, Pather joined the Daily News late in the 1970s. He thereafter became editor of today's Post newspaper, the Daily News and the Sunday Tribune. He says the media since 1994 has been generally free compared to many other countries in the world. According to Pather, mainline newspapers have generally done a magnificent job to expose all kinds of corruption in government and the private sector. But he's now concerned that certain print media companies are becoming too closely attached to the Government and the secrecy bill will make life difficult for journalists.
"WE HAVE A LOT TO FEAR"
"If we want an open and transparent media we cannot have restrictions that are going to affect the free flow of information," he told me in an interview.
He added: "Newspapers are now going to be afraid of talking to certain sources because they have the sword of democles hanging over their heads. So I think we have a lot to fear and if we can fight this new secrecy bill as strongly as we fought apartheid, then I think we would be doing our duty."
(UBJ executive officials, Rashid Seria, Mike Norton (late), Ms Juby Mayet, empty space for Joe Thloloe who was in detention at that time, Charles Nqakula, Subry Govender, and Philip Mthimkulu)
JOURNALISTS HAVE PAID A HUGE PRICE FOR MEDIA FREEDOM
Many South Africans, including scores of journalists, have sacrificed a great deal in their quest not only for a free society but also for a free and unbridled media. Many of these people are hoping that South Africa will not descend to the same situation as other countries on the continent and other parts of the world where the ruling regimes restrict media freedom.
They say any threat to a free media will be a direct threat to the democracy that South Africans enjoy today.
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