The National Press Club welcomes the statement by President Jacob Zuma that he will assist while in Tripoli to get photographer Anton Hammerl’s body returned to his family.
Club Chairperson Yusuf Abramjee, said: “The President’s swift response to a letter from the Hammerl family is welcomed. He has shown leadership. Thank you.
“It was an emotional plea from Anton’s wife and children and I’m pleased to see President Zuma’s response.
“We hope the President will succeed and get Anton’s body back for a proper burial as soon as possible,” said Abramjee.
He added that it was “also important for the SA government to officially raise its concern and disappointment with Libya for lying about Anton. They said he was alive and well. SA must demand an apology.”
He said he hoped this was raised “face to face between President Zuma and Gadaffi”.
Abramjee addressed the Council of Arab Ambassadors in SA on Thursday evening.
He appealed to them to also assist in getting Anton’s body back to SA.
“The ambassadors agreed to use diplomatic channels to try and assist.
“There was no representative from Libya at the meeting. The ambassador, Dr Abdulla Al-Zubedi, I was told no longer represents his country.
“I was further informed that he is also no longer dean of the diplomatic corps,” said Abramjee.
The Arab ambassadors, he added, passed on their condolences to Hammerl’s family, friends and colleaques.
The National Press Club has called on government to ensure that press freedom is upheld and that journalists are allowed to do their jobs without interference, intimidation, abuse or harassment.
In a statement marking World Press Freedom Day tomorrow (Tuesday, 3 May), the club also called on the Libyan government to immediately release South African photographer, Anton Hammerl and other journalists.
National Press Club Chairman Yusuf Abramjee said “the continued detention of our colleagues in Libya is worrying.
“We again appeal to the South African government to assist and to pressurize Libya to release Hammerl. It’s now going for three weeks and as we mark World Press Freedom Day, Hammerl and others who are in detention are in our thoughts and prayers.
“I’ve recently had discussions with Libya’s ambassador to South Africa, Dr Abdoola Al-Zubedi, who promised to assist. We hope to meet him this week again to follow-up and see what, if any, progress has been made.
“Journalists should be allowed to do their work without any fear, intimidation, abuse, harassment or detention. In many parts of the world, members of the media are targeted and we condemn this in the strongest terms,” said Abramjee.
The club also paid tribute to reporters who have been killed in the line of duty. “Many have lost their lives and on this occasion, we again remember them and we salute them.”
Abramjee said media freedom had to be protected. “Any laws that will hamper us in what we do will be strongly opposed.”
“We appeal to newspapers to have some open white spaces on their pages tomorrow as part of World Freedom Day to show readers what can and will happen if we are censored or silenced. Radio and TV stations should also dedicate a few seconds of �dead air’ to create awareness around media clampdowns,” he said.
Abramjee said there have been a number of worrying incidents where journalists have been intimidated and threatened with arrest – and in some cases, even arrested – by members of the South African Police Service while doing their job.
“We will continue to raise our concerns with the police leadership. We must be allowed to work freely,” he said.
Abramjee reiterated the need for the media to be fair, balanced and independent.
“We must ensure that we pride ourselves on accuracy and on balanced reporting. If and when we err, we must be bold enough to apologise with the same prominence as the original report,” he said. “Journalists have to be bold and fearless.
“We must continue to expose wrongdoing at every turn. We must be the watchdogs for society,” said Abramjee.
Background to World Press Freedom Day
The United Nations General Assembly declared 3 May to be World Press Freedom Day to raise awareness of the importance of freedom of the press and remind governments of their duty to respect and uphold the right to freedom of expression enshrined under Article 19 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and marking the anniversary of the Declaration of Windhoek, a statement of free press principles put together by African newspaper journalists in 1991.
Thank you very much to the CSIR for hosting the press club’s networking forum on 25 May. The evening was particularly well attended by members, which made for great networking. The presentation by CSIR President and CEO Dr Sibusiso Sibisi was also most insightful. The club’s next networking forum will be hosted by the Department of Water Affairs – date, time and venue to be announced.
Elections 2011 – the press club was there
The National Press Club held no less than five media briefings at the results centre of the Independent Electoral Commission (IEC) during the recent municipal elections.
The first briefing, with Chief Electoral Officer Pansy Tlakula, focused on the IEC’s readiness for the election.
Other briefings held during the week of the election were with Police Minister Nathi Mthethwa, the Democratic Alliance, the ANC, and COPE.
The club also held a briefing with Virginia Peterson, CEO of the South African Social Security Agency, on 26 May.
“Secrecy Bill” – quo vadis?
Herman Scholtz
With the ‘Secrecy Bill’ on the horizon, a non-cooperative government spokesperson at the helm of GCIS and the country’s slipping position on world rankings of press freedom, South African journalists have a trump card that has consistently showed its worth.
Although this trump card of constitutional protection is not absolute and has to be weighed up against other constitutional rights, media freedom showed its muscle in a recent judgment of the North Gauteng High Court, granting access for journalists to the Eug�ne Terre’Blanche murder trial where a minor is one of the accused.
In this case, the rights of the media locked horns with not only a statutory provision for in camera proceedings provided for in the new Child Justice Act, but also the mighty constitutional rights of children.
The Constitutional Court has stated on numerous occasions that the rights of a child are paramount when their interests are at stake.
But, as Judge Joseph Raulinga pointed out, not even these rights are exempt from limitation where competing rights such as media freedom are concerned.
The applicants – Media24, eTV and SANEF – argued that the media has to gain access to the trial in order to demystify several aspects of the murder of the notorious AWB leader.
It was, for example, reported that the murder may be connected to sexual abuse. The state initially charged the accused with crimen injuria for allegedly pulling down Terre’Blanche’s pants and police Chief General Bheki Cele confirmed that semen was found on the scene, but the state later abandoned this charge.
Judge Raulinga noted that vulnerable witnesses and the minor accused must be protected from public disclosure, but also emphasised the importance of the public interest and the media’s role and responsibilities in serving it.
In finding that the media should have access, Judge Raulinga emphasised that the media are agents for the public.
“There exists a tacit contract between the public and the media that the media are the ears of the public. In view of the fact that the media are the messengers, the public will always prevail over the media. However, the media should be allowed to carry out its mandate on behalf of the public.
“I have no doubt that the media have always carried out their mandate responsibly and in an accountable manner. We should also be mindful of the fact that, because the media are run and managed by human beings, there will always be some mistakes made – “to err is human”. If they vacillate in the performance of their duties, their constitutional goals will be imperilled.” Judge Raulinga also relied on a precedent set by the Constitutional Court to acknowledge the “undeniable importance” of the media in a democratic society.
Now that Cosatu and opposition parties have indicated that the Protection of Information Bill faces a Constitutional Court challenge if passed in its current form, the question remains – If media freedom and the public interest could trump the all-important rights of children, will the court find similar circumstances to warrant a limitation on state security legislation?
New members
The National Press Club welcomes the following new members and hopes to see them at club events soon: Farirayi Kahwemba – Leseding News, Richard Samunda – Leseding News, Levina Botha – Statistics South Africa, Mantshele Tau – Tau Ya Poka Communications, Vernicia Pillay – Business Connexion, Miranda Lusiba – Business Connexion, Jacques Theron – Ronrick Kommunikasie en Bemarking, Madeline Seidenstricker – US Embassy.
Photograph of the month
Helen Zille and Gwede Mantashe arm wrestle at the Results Operations Centre during the recent local elections, with press club chairman Yusuf Abramjee looking on. Photographer Etienne Creux, Pretoria News
Feedback
Please send any news, suggestions or information for this newsletter to Martin van Niekerk at the secretariat on martin@junxionpr.co.za, +27 (0)12 804 5199. Visit the website at www.nationalpressclub.co.za.
