National Police Commissioner, Bheki Cele, and a delegation from the SA National Editors’ Forum met in Johannesburg today to discuss a variety of “operational communication issues” including police Standing Orders 156 and aspects of Section 205.
Read more…The SA National Editors’ Forum is concerned at a new clamp down on foreign and local media in Zimbabwe despite promises by the government that the country’s repressive media laws were under review and would be amended to restore media freedom.
Read more…It is a privilege and an honour to have been asked to address members of the press, in particular, those affiliated with such a distinguished organisation as SANEF. The American founding father Thomas Jefferson famously quipped, “If it were left to me to decide whether we should have a government without newspapers or newspapers without a government, I should not hesitate a moment to prefer the latter.”
Read more…A meeting of the council of the South African National Editors’ Forum in Cape Town today (13 February 2010) resolved that:
- Because some police officers continue to treat journalists in a negative manner, enforcing unofficial restrictions in media reporting, SANEF will revive its discussions with senior police leaders to ensure that the media is allowed to render its public service of reporting the fight against crime.
- SANEF commits itself to continue to lobby government to amend all punitive laws including Section 205 of the Criminal Procedures Act, and also for the media provisions of Protection of Personal Privacy Bill to be withdrawn. A colloquium between SANEF and the relevant government ministries will be convened soon.
Read more…Sanef’s press statement of 25 January, 2010, regarding the court’s decision to postpone the case brought by the South African Police Service against e-TV reporter Mpho Lakaje and editor Ben Said.
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