Sanef

The World Association of Newspapers and the World Editors Forum, meeting at the 60th World Newspaper Congress and 14th World Editors Forum Conference in Cape Town in 2007, noted that in country after country in Africa, the press is crippled by repressive measures, from the jailing and persecution of journalists to the widespread scourge of “insult laws” and criminal defamation, used ruthlessly by governments to prevent critical appraisal of their performance and to deprive the public of information about their misdemeanours. This declaration is a statement by the WAN and WEF of their conviction that Africa urgently needs a strong, free press.