SA National Editors' Forum wants to meet with Zuma

Rudolph Muller

Rudolph Muller is the editor at MyBroadband and covers telecoms and broadband news. Rudolph comes from an academic background, but left the University of...

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“We are planning to meet with the cabinet to discuss the relationship between the government and the media. It is not specifically about the proposed media tribunal,” Avusa editor-in-chief and Sanef action committee chairman Mondli Makhanya  said in a telephone interview.

“No date has been set yet but we are aiming for early September.  We are liaising with his spokesman Themba [Maseko] to set up a date  in his (Zuma’s) diary,” he said.

Although Maseko could not be reached for comment, Zuma spokesman Zizi Kodwa said that the president currently had no meetings with editors in his diary.

According to the Rapport on Sunday the meeting had been set up to discuss the ANC’s plans for a media tribunal.

It said the tribunal, which enjoyed strong support from the ANC, walked closely with the Protection of Information Bill and was widely seen as an attempt to muzzle South African media.

Sanef was meeting with non-governmental organisations and other stakeholders on Monday to discuss free speech and media freedom in South Africa, which the paper said was part of a plan being drawn up to get the ANC to abandon the media tribunal.

The tribunal and proposed amendment to the Information Bill had been strongly opposed by local media, writers, academics, organisations, politicians and activists.