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The South African National Editors’ Forum (SANEF) objects in the strongest terms to the conviction and sentencing in Swaziland of Bheki Makhubu, the editor of the Nation magazine, on charges of “scandalising the court”.

Mr Makhubu was sentenced to two years in jail, alternatively a R200 000 fine, after contempt charges were brought against him by Swaziland’s Attorney General Majahe-nkhaba Dlamini, over two articles dealing with the attitude of judges, including the Chief Justice, to the constitution.

The use of contempt charges to silence legitimate scrutiny of judicial conduct and attitudes will do nothing to secure the dignity and credibility of Swaziland’s courts. On the contrary, by seeking to enforce silence rather than to foster open debate, this judgement is more likely to engender doubt, criticism, and suspicion of Swaziland’s courts than it is to create respect.

We understand Bheki Makhubu will appeal the verdict and sentence, and we will work with other regional and local organisations to support him. We strongly urge the South African government and the African Union to more vigorously remind the Swazi authorities of the importance of a free press and open democratic environment.

Issued by the SA National Editors’ Forum (SANEF)

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The South African National Editors’ Forum (SANEF) is distressed to hear of the savage attack on Absalon Kibanda, Chairman of the Tanzanian Editors’ Forum.

Mr Kibanda, who is also Editor-in-Chief at the media group New Habari is receiving treatment at Milpark hospital in Johannesburg after he was assaulted by three men outside his home in Dar es Salaam. The assailants beat him severely, cut off one of his fingers and punctured his eye. It appears from his initial account that they intended to kill him. Nothing was stolen, however there are strong grounds to believe the attack was connected to his work.

Tanzania has on its statute books a draft of legislation which is hostile to the practice of independent journalism and powerful figures in that country’s political and business establishment do not hesitate to use it to silence critical voices.

Mr Kibanda himself faces what are clearly spurious charges of sedition over the publication on his watch of an article critical of the politicisation of the security forces.
It is clear that a climate of official antipathy to a free press may create conditions in which those who are ready to use force to secure silence feel they can do so with a tacit license from the authorities.

We are pleased that Mr Kibanda is now receiving good medical care, and wish him well in his recovery. We will offer him our full support while he is in our country, and our solidarity on his return home. We will call on South Africa’s representatives at the South African Development Community to convey our concerns to their Tanzanian counterparts, and to ask that his assailants be brought to book.

Ends

Issued by the SA National Editors’ Forum (SANEF)

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Twitter: @SAEditorsForum

Email: [email protected]

Website: SANEF

The South African National Editors’ Forum (SANEF) condemns in the strongest terms the apparently politically motivated attack on a journalist in the Eastern Cape this week.

This comes after a spate of worrying attacks on journalists who were reporting on strikes in the Western Cape in recent weeks and the intimidation of a reporter covering a protest at the University of Fort Hare by a policeman on duty there.

Together, these incidents indicate an uncalled for hostility towards the media and journalists who are carrying out their professional duties in keeping the public informed.

Zolile Menzelwa, a reporter on the Queenstown weekly The Rep, suffered injuries to his face and ankle after two assailants knocked him down, stood on his chest and dropped a brick on his ankle – leaving him bruised but not seriously hurt. The incident happened on Sunday evening as he walked close to his home from a private engagement.

The two men, whom he did not recognise, warned him to stop writing “about the mayor”, which pointed to a political motivation for the assault. Menzelwa and his editor, Sonja Raasch, are not sure whether the attackers were referring to the recently ousted mayor, who is linked to about R7 million in missing funds, or to his replacement, who has promised to tackle corruption.

The attack was reported to police and a case number was allocated, but no charge was laid because he could not identify his attackers.

SANEF is encouraged by the fact that Menzelwa’s employers – Times Media Group – is beefing up security at his home and has committed to raising the matter formally with the ANC. As SANEF, we are concerned that the attacks on South African journalists will impact on society’s rights to receive information necessary to help them exercise their democratic rights.

In Alice, a Captain Godulawana threatened Theo Jeptha, a photographer from Foto24, saying: “I will blow you up.” Jeptha was on a freelance assignment to cover Fort Hare student protests being monitored by police. The policeman ripped Jeptha’s camera from his hands, saying he did not want to be photographed.

This action was in total violation of the media’s freedom to report – and photograph – public protest. A case of intimidation was laid.

Globally, the Committee to Protect Journalists said that 2012 was a very bad year for press freedom as it was the highest number of journalist attacks since 1990. About 70 reporters were killed and 232 imprisoned – a 43{2469049d4765708acc81cf9a9945e9ec8fb710558d9eddbbea6bd15c42014f67} increase from the previous year. According to the International Press Institute (IPI), the number of journalists killed in 2012 was 133, and IPI reports that 20 have been killed so far this year.

SANEF is fully behind Menzelwa and The Rep in their publication of news in the public interest and encourages them not to buckle under pressure from those who seek to use illegal and totally unacceptable ways to keep the truth unknown.

SANEF also believes that, if the mayor referred to is of the view that his position is being used by people unknown to him, acting without his consent, he too has a responsibility to speak out against this barbaric attack on Menzelwa.

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Twitter: @SAEditorsForum

Email: [email protected]

Website: SANEF