South African editors are to seek a meeting with the department of foreign affairs to express concern over the recent court ruling that has closed Zimbabwe's only independent newspaper, the
Daily News.
The council of the South African National Editors Forum (Sanef) strongly condemned the Zimbabwean Supreme Court ruling and called for urgent reconsideration of the judgement.
Sanef's quarterly council meeting in Cape Town called on the South African government to condemn the decision as it not only contravenes the freedom of expression principles of Zimbabwe’s
constitution, but also those contained in protocols adopted by the South African Development Community and the African Union.
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The Zimbabwean Court held that the Access to Information and the Promotion of Privacy Act, which forces newspapers to register and journalists to be accredited with the government-appointed Media and Information Commission, did not violate constitutional rights of free expression.
One judge dissented, maintaining the view of the Independent Journalists' Association of Zimbabwe that the media laws could in fact contravene these
rights.
Sanef said it views the judgement as placing Zimbabwean journalists under direct control of the government, which effectively spells the deathknell of independent journalism in Zimbabwe. This view is also held by numerous international organisations which have also protested against the judgement.
Sanef also agreed to:
continue its role as Amicus Curae – friend of the court – in any appeal to the Constitutional Court in the matter of Ranjeni Munusamy vs the Hefer Commission and the Free State High Court’s ruling which says that journalists can be called to testify in legal proceedings as a first resort.
The organisation underlined that its interest in the matter is to protect a cardinal journalistic principle which is in the public interest and a free flow of information and protection of sources.
adopt and publicise general principles and guidelines for the conduct of confidential briefings. This follows controversy
surrounding the briefing by the National Director of Public Prosecutions to a selected group of editors in 2002.
urgently seek a meeting with the Minister of Safety and Security and the Commissioner of Police over blockages in the free flow of information to the public via the media, particularly in the Western Cape and KwaZulu-Natal.
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