Recent reports on police National Commissioner Bheki Cele and the R500-million rental deal for police headquarters may be on the agenda in a meeting between him and the SA National Editors' Forum (Sanef) on Tuesday. Sanef media freedom expert Raymond Louw said on Monday that Cele had requested the meeting and they did not know what issues he would raise. "Obviously he is going to raise some issues, he may raise issues about the reports on the move of the police headquarters."
At a media briefing last week Cele said he would be approaching Sanef about the article in the Sunday Times to discuss what he said had been a unanimous agreement on the principles of professionalism. The newspaper reported that Cele had signed a R500-million property rental deal that would see police headquarters move to the Middestad Sanlam Centre in Pretoria. According to the report, the deal was not treated as a tender, violating Treasury regulations that all government contracts worth over R500 000 go through a bidding process. However, Cele had denied this.
Louw said the editors were going to raise concerns about the conduct of the police in the arrest of Sunday Times journalist Mzilikazi wa Afrika. Wa Afrika was arrested outside the newspapers' offices on Wednesday by members of the Hawks special police unit He was apparently arrested for the possession of what police claim was a fraudulent letter of resignation from Mpumalanga premier David Mabuza to President Jacob Zuma.
The meeting would take place at Sanef offices in Johannesburg at 10am. Meanwhile, editors of major newspapers in South Africa launched a campaign to fight what they call attempts to curtail freedom of expression and the free flow of information. In a declaration, 37 print editors said they were "deeply concerned" about proposed new legislation and a media tribunal. "We vigorously oppose the restrictive clauses in the Protection of Information Bill and the proposed Media Appeals Tribunal (MAT)."
In the declaration, called the Auckland Park declaration, they appealed to the government and the ANC "to abide by the founding principles of our democracy and to abandon these proposed measures". They said freedom of expression and access to information were the "lifeblood" of the South African democracy and that the media was "at the very heart of the struggle for freedom". According to a resolution taken at the ANC's 52nd National Congress in 2007 in Polokwane, the establishment of a Media Appeals Tribunal should be investigated.
The resolution endorsed "that such investigation be directed at examining the principle of a MAT and the associated modalities for implementation". "Conference notes that the creation of a MAT would strengthen, complement and support the current self-regulatory institutions [Press Ombudsman/Press Council] in the public interest."
Source: Mail & Guardian
Showing posts with label Auckland Park Declaration. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Auckland Park Declaration. Show all posts
Monday, August 9, 2010
The Auckland Park Declaration
We, the title editors of South Africa's major publications and members of the South African National Editors' Forum, are deeply concerned about attempts to curtail freedom of expression and the free flow of information in our country.
Free speech and access to information are the lifeblood of our democracy and were at the very heart of the struggle for freedom. Human dignity is indivisible from freedom of speech.
We vigorously oppose the restrictive clauses in the Protection of Information Bill and the proposed media appeals tribunal.
We appeal to the South African government and the ruling ANC to abide by the founding principles of our democracy, and to abandon these proposed measures.
We commit ourselves to join hands with all South Africans who value their freedom to defend these basic rights which are enshrined in, and are indeed the cornerstone of, our constitution.
1 Ainsley Moos, Volksblad
2 Alan Dunn, Daily News
3 Alide Dasnois, Cape Times
4 Andrew Koopman, Son & Sondag Son
5 Andrew Trench, Daily Dispatch
6 Angela Quintal, The Mercury
7 Barney Mthombothi, Financial Mail
8 Bongani Keswa, Sowetan
9 Bun Booyens, Die Burger
10 Charles Mogale, Sunday World
11 Chiara Carter, Weekend Argus
12 Chris Whitfield, Editor-in-Chief,
Independent Newspapers Cape
13 Clyde Bawden, The Independent on Saturday
14 Dirk Lotriet, Sondag
15 Ferial Haffajee, City Press
16 Fikile Ntsikelelo Moya, The Witness
17 Jeremy McCabe, Weekend Post
18 Gasant Abarder, Cape Argus
19 Heather Robertson, The Herald
20 Jovial Rantao, The Star
21 Liza Albrecht, Rapport
22 Makhudu Sefara, The Sunday Independent
23 Martin Williams, The Citizen
24 Moegsien Williams, The Star
25 Mondli Makhanya, Editor-in-Chief, Avusa
26 Nic Dawes, Mail & Guardian
27 Peet Kruger, Editor-in-Chief, Media24
28 Peter Bruce, Business Day
29 Philani Mgwaba, Sunday Tribune
3. Phylicia Oppelt, The Times
31 Ray Hartley, Sunday Times
32 Thabo Leshilo, Avusa Public Editor
33 Themba Khumalo, Daily Sun
34 Tim du Plessis, Beeld
35 Thulani Mbatha, Isolezwe
36 Zingisa Mkhuma, Pretoria News
37 Brijlall Ramguthee, The Post
Source: IoL
Free speech and access to information are the lifeblood of our democracy and were at the very heart of the struggle for freedom. Human dignity is indivisible from freedom of speech.
We vigorously oppose the restrictive clauses in the Protection of Information Bill and the proposed media appeals tribunal.
We appeal to the South African government and the ruling ANC to abide by the founding principles of our democracy, and to abandon these proposed measures.
We commit ourselves to join hands with all South Africans who value their freedom to defend these basic rights which are enshrined in, and are indeed the cornerstone of, our constitution.
1 Ainsley Moos, Volksblad
2 Alan Dunn, Daily News
3 Alide Dasnois, Cape Times
4 Andrew Koopman, Son & Sondag Son
5 Andrew Trench, Daily Dispatch
6 Angela Quintal, The Mercury
7 Barney Mthombothi, Financial Mail
8 Bongani Keswa, Sowetan
9 Bun Booyens, Die Burger
10 Charles Mogale, Sunday World
11 Chiara Carter, Weekend Argus
12 Chris Whitfield, Editor-in-Chief,
Independent Newspapers Cape
13 Clyde Bawden, The Independent on Saturday
14 Dirk Lotriet, Sondag
15 Ferial Haffajee, City Press
16 Fikile Ntsikelelo Moya, The Witness
17 Jeremy McCabe, Weekend Post
18 Gasant Abarder, Cape Argus
19 Heather Robertson, The Herald
20 Jovial Rantao, The Star
21 Liza Albrecht, Rapport
22 Makhudu Sefara, The Sunday Independent
23 Martin Williams, The Citizen
24 Moegsien Williams, The Star
25 Mondli Makhanya, Editor-in-Chief, Avusa
26 Nic Dawes, Mail & Guardian
27 Peet Kruger, Editor-in-Chief, Media24
28 Peter Bruce, Business Day
29 Philani Mgwaba, Sunday Tribune
3. Phylicia Oppelt, The Times
31 Ray Hartley, Sunday Times
32 Thabo Leshilo, Avusa Public Editor
33 Themba Khumalo, Daily Sun
34 Tim du Plessis, Beeld
35 Thulani Mbatha, Isolezwe
36 Zingisa Mkhuma, Pretoria News
37 Brijlall Ramguthee, The Post
Source: IoL
Journalists unite over media tribunal
The editors of major newspapers in South Africa have launched a campaign to fight what they have called attempts to curtail freedom of expression and the free flow of information. In a declaration published in a Sunday newspaper, 36 print editors said they were "deeply concerned" about proposed new legislation and a media tribunal. "We vigorously oppose the restrictive clauses in the Protection of Information Bill and the proposed Media Appeals Tribunal (MAT)," the declaration said.
In the statement, called The Auckland Park Declaration, they appealed to the government and the ruling ANC "to abide by the founding principles of our democracy and to abandon these proposed measures". They said freedom of expression and access to information were the "lifeblood" of the South African democracy and that the press was "at the very heart of the struggle for freedom". This comes as the ANC prepares to meet with the media on Tuesday at Lilliesleaf in Sandton to discuss, among other things, the tribunal.
According to a resolution taken at the ANC's 52nd National Congress in 2007 in Polokwane, the establishment of a Media Appeals Tribunal should be investigated.
Source: IoL
In the statement, called The Auckland Park Declaration, they appealed to the government and the ruling ANC "to abide by the founding principles of our democracy and to abandon these proposed measures". They said freedom of expression and access to information were the "lifeblood" of the South African democracy and that the press was "at the very heart of the struggle for freedom". This comes as the ANC prepares to meet with the media on Tuesday at Lilliesleaf in Sandton to discuss, among other things, the tribunal.
According to a resolution taken at the ANC's 52nd National Congress in 2007 in Polokwane, the establishment of a Media Appeals Tribunal should be investigated.
Source: IoL
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