ARTICLE: WORLD PRESS FREEDOM DAY
2016-05-02
World Press Freedom Day (3 May) gives us the opportunity to assess the freedom of our press in South Africa.
As anyone who regularly reads our newspapers will be aware, the press is often extremely critical of government and does not hesitate to pour scorn on national leaders – often in the most derisive terms.
The ANC’s official approach gives full recognition to the need for freedom of expression. It confirms that “the Constitution protects and provides for the freedom of the media, freedom of expression and access to information.” However, there might be some difference of opinion on the role of the media and what freedom of expression actually means.
South Africans are shocked by scenes playing out of late, particularly on historically Afrikaans campuses. These incidents are part of a process that began at the end of 2015 with #Rhodesmustfall. Shortly afterwards it was #Feesmustfall, with similar origins. Then Open Stellenbosch followed, where racial and anti-Afrikaans sentiments were more visible, and then ReformPuk. At the start of 2016, all of this deteriorated into undisguised racism and xenophobia, with slogans of “F … whites” and even “Kill all the whites” appearing on walls and T-shirts. When art was burned at UCT, students shouted: “It is whiteness burning!”. And last week it culminated at UP with #Afrikaansmustfall and violence and physical attacks and counter-attacks.
President Zuma is understandably unhappy with the treatment he receives from the media – and particularly from the print media. He is regularly depicted with a shower emerging from his head. Artists paint him with his genitals exposed. He is castigated for corruption and the media continue to hound him over the expenditure of R246 million on his retirement home. 
800 years ago, on 15 June 1215, in a plashy meadow beside the River Thames in England, an event took place that would deeply affect the constitutional future – not only of the English people – but of countries throughout the world, including South Africa. On that day King John was forced by his barons to sign the Magna Carta – a document that introduced for the first time the notion that kings – and by extension governments – are ultimately subject to the Rule of Law.
16 November is the United Nations’ International Day for Tolerance.
In a statement issued today, the President’s spokesman, Mac Maharaj, has taken “strong exception to the attack on the South African government by the Executive Mayor of the City of Cape Town, Ms Patricia de Lille”, because “she blamed government for the cancellation of the 14th World Summit of Nobel Laureates.”
According to a statement made by the Minister of Higher Education, Blade Nzimande, during his budget debate earlier this week, “… we no longer have Afrikaans or Zulu or Tswana universities. All our universities are South African universities and must serve all the people of this country.”
World Press Freedom Day was proclaimed by the UN General Assembly in December 1993, following the recommendation of a UNESCO General Conference.