Nwabisa Makunga

The South African National Editors’ Forum (Sanef) congratulates its chairperson Nwabisa Makunga on her recent appointment as the Managing Director for News and Media at Arena Holdings.

Sanef believes that Nwabisa’s promotion bodes well for the future of the media in this country. Not only is Nwabisa an advocate for media freedom, but she is also a champion for the sustainability of the media in South Africa.

As a result of her new role, Nwabisa will relinquish her chairpersonship of Sanef to focus on her new role. While Sanef is sad to see Nwabisa go, but the organisation is comforted by the knowledge that Nwabisa will continue to be an ally – advancing the course of media sustainability and media freedom within the top management at Arena.

Makunga previous served as Sanef’s treasurer-general and deputy chairperson, demonstrating her unwavering dedication and exceptional leadership. She will officially handover to a new chairperson, who will be elected at the Sanef Council meeting in Cape Town, in February 2025

At the time of her promotion, Nwabisa – working with Sanef’s Managing Committee (Mancom) – was leading Sanef’s efforts to futureproof the news media and ensure that it survives the unpredictable and challenging times that we are facing as an industry. This work will continue under the direction of the Mancom.

Reflecting on her resignation, Makunga said: “I am stepping down as the chairperson, it is the right thing to do considering the scope and nature of my new responsibility. I continue to support the work of Sanef and believe the organisation has capable leaders to take the baton and continue the work to deliver its mandate. While I look forward to the new adventure at Arena Holdings, it is bittersweet to leave Sanef, especially at a time when we are on the cusp of launching the Journalism Sustainability Fund, a pioneering project I have been privileged to lead.”

At its meeting held on Saturday, 16 November 2024, the SANEF Council congratulated and wished Nwabisa well in her new role.

The same Council meeting was earlier addressed by Public Protector advocate Kholeka Gcaleka who unpacked the work done by her office in the past year and als0 highlighted the challenges facing her office.

Gcaleka reiterated her commitment to accountability and transparency as vital for restoring public trust in governance. She noted the media’s role in raising public awareness and mentioned ongoing digitisation efforts in her office that are aimed at improving efficiency and reducing case backlogs.

She provided updates on various investigations, including the case of a primary school regarding water quality issues in the Eastern Cape, while also addressing gender-based violence and food contamination in schools.

She reported a 90% delivery rate for the Public Protector’s office and plans to launch a self-service portal for tracking complaints. She advocated for legislative clarity regarding the distinction between the public protector as an individual and as an institution, and she emphasised the need for emotional well-being among team members.

She also called for reforms to the Promotion of Access to Information Act to enhance transparency and accessibility, particularly for non-English speakers, and expressed gratitude for the support received from various organisations including Sanef.

Arrest, intimidation of journalists in Mozambique.

The council reflected on issues of media freedom following the Mozambican authorities’ detention of two journalists who were covering the unrests in that country.

The council strongly condemns the Mozambican authorities for the intimidation, harassment, and unjust detention of journalists, including South African reporters Bongani Siziba and Sbonelo Mkhasibe from News Central TV, along with Mozambican journalist Charles Mangwiro. Their arbitrary arrest while reporting on anti-government protests in Maputo is a flagrant violation of international protocols protecting press freedom.

Journalists play a vital role in promoting accountability and transparency. Mozambique, as a member of the Southern African Development Community (SADC) and a signatory to the African Union’s freedom of the media protocols, has a duty to uphold these values. The detention of these journalists, compounded by reports of their mistreatment, including being blindfolded during their arrest, is a grave affront to media freedom and human rights.

While Sanef acknowledges the eventual release of Siziba and Mkhasibe, we remain deeply concerned about the pattern of escalating attacks on journalists in Mozambique. The assault on Rádio e Televisão Encontro journalists César Rafael and Valdemiro Amisse in Nampula, and the expulsion of two Portuguese journalists earlier this month under dubious pretenses, highlight a worrying trend. Such actions undermine the fundamental freedoms enshrined in the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights and the UN’s principles on the protection of journalists.

We are further alarmed by the ongoing digital repression in Mozambique, including social media and mobile internet shutdowns. These measures not only restrict press freedom but also disrupt the operations of online publications across the SADC region, stifling the flow of information vital for informed public discourse.

Sanef echoes the demands of the Media Institute of Southern Africa (MISA) for a full and transparent explanation of the journalists’ detention and immediate accountability from Mozambican authorities. Journalism is not a crime, and the work of journalists must not be hindered through intimidation or violence.

We urge Mozambique to reaffirm its commitment to protecting press freedom, ensuring the safety of journalists, and halting its regressive trajectory. Sanef calls on SADC member states, the African Union, and international bodies to hold Mozambique accountable and to advocate for the protection of journalists and the safeguarding of freedom of expression across the region.

On the plight of freelance journalism in the country.

Despite the profound transformations in media labour, Sanef noted that there is limited research on the state and working conditions of freelance journalists. In response, Sanef collaborated with the Henry Nxumalo Foundation (HNF) and commissioned a study to better understand the current state of freelance journalism in South Africa.

The Council received a research report on the plight of freelance journalism. The report outlined the challenges and opportunities of freelance journalism in the country, stating that freelance journalism has become increasingly prominent in the media industry, especially in South Africa. This trend has been accelerated by the COVID-19 pandemic, which normalised remote work. However, long before the pandemic, freelance journalism was already being driven by a media crisis marked by declining revenue, reduced advertising income, and significant job losses. It noted that this crisis forced many skilled journalists and media professionals into freelancing.

The report stated that their working conditions were difficult, and compensation was appalling and inadequate. With many journalists entering the freelance space, the freelance market was also becoming highly competitive while freelance journalists juggled multiple jobs, doing self-promotion, administrative work, and budget planning on top of their primary work of being a journalist.

It also found that many freelancers feel that media houses do not adequately address their needs, such as timely payments, compensation for extra expenses, and inclusion in journalism events and newsroom meetings. This lack of professional attention has led to apathy among freelancers, negatively affecting overall professionalism.

Sanef has undertaken to establish guidelines for newsrooms regarding professional relations with freelancers. It undertook to work with freelancers’ organisations to improve their plight. Furthermore, related matters raised by the research report will be subject for discussion at the next council meeting in February.

 Media and Digital Platforms Market Inquiry

The council also deliberated on the Media and Digital Platforms Market Inquiry and noted that the Competition Commission has delayed the release of its provisional market inquiry report on Media and Digital Platforms to 29 November.

Sanef is monitoring the situation and hoping the report will give a strong indication of how the Commission views the alleged anti-competitive conduct of digital platforms, including AI, and the financial impact this conduct has had on the news media and journalism. Sanef will continue to work with partner organisation to highlight the adverse and anti-competitive impact brought about by the high-tech industries and to propose alternative solutions to deal with the impact and the conditions of market failure.

Note to Editors:

The South African National Editors’ Forum (Sanef) is a non-profit organisation whose members are editors, senior journalists, and journalism trainers from all areas of South African media. We are committed to championing South Africa’s hard-won freedom of expression and promoting quality, ethics, and diversity in the South African media. We promote excellence in journalism by fighting for media freedom, writing policy submissions, research, and education and training programmes. Sanef is not a union.

For more information, please contact:

Nwabisa Makunga – Chairperson (082) 555-1972

Tshamano Makhadi – Deputy Chairperson (082) 223-0621

Dr. Glenda Daniels – Secretary-General (083) 229-9708

Sbu Ngalwa – Treasurer General (073) 404-1415

Makhudu Sefara – Media Freedom Chair (079) 177-2134

Katy Katopodis – SANEF Wellness and Safety Chair (082) 805-7022

Judy Sandison – SANEF KZN Convenor (082) 571-3334

Rochelle De Kock – SANEF Eastern Cape Convenor (072) 969-8028

Sisanda Nkoala – SANEF Western Cape Convenor

Reggy Moalusi – SANEF Executive Director (071) 682-3695

Twitter: @SAEditorsForum

Email: [email protected]

Website: www.sanef.org.za