Johannesburg - The South African Broadcasting Corporation (SABC) said on Friday it had joined hands with the rest of the media fraternity to commemorate the 41st anniversary of Black Wednesday.
Black Wednesday occurred when the apartheid government banned the publications "The World", "Weekend World" and "Pro Veritate" on 19 October 1977.
"As we remember the sacrifices of many journalists in the pursuit of media freedom, we must continuously discharge our mandate of providing news to millions of South Africans in a manner that brings to life the constitutional rights and freedoms bestowed on journalists," SABC chief executive officer Madoda Mxakwe said in a statement.
Mxakwe said the recent repositioning of the public broadcaster as "independent and impartial" was crucial for its editorial independence.
SABC spokesperson Neo Momodu said the advent of democracy in South Africa had heralded in freedom, including that of the media, which is enshrined in the country's Constitution.
“As a public service broadcaster, the SABC remains committed to principles of media freedom as well as journalism ethics and professional integrity in news gathering, processing and dissemination," Momodu said.