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Sanef
urges more pressure on Harare
Witsnews
March 08,
2005
http://www.journalism.co.za
The SA National Editors’
Forum (Sanef) has called on the Zimbabwean government to lift all restrictions
on the media ahead of the election later this month, and on the South
African government to be more vocal in its dealings with Harare over media
freedom, reports Witsnews.
At its national council meeting in Cape Town March 7, Sanef debated what
to do about its inability to secure an appointment with the Minister of
Foreign Affairs, Nkosazana Dlamini_Zuma, to discuss ongoing media repression
in Zimbabwe. In the end, the organisation agreed to release a statement,
in which is voiced "serious concern (at) the continuing violation
of media freedom" in that country.
This follows the closure
of another newspaper, the Weekly Times, and after four local journalists
working for foreign news organisations were forced to flee by police harassment.
The statement, released
by Sanef chair Joe Thloloe, said: "These actions do not bode well
for free and fair parliamentary elections at the end of March. Unfettered
media are essential for the free flow of information, the exchange of
ideas and for voters to formulate opinions on which to base their ballot
decisions."
Sanef also said that
the state-owned media should be impartial in their coverage "and
also provide opportunities for direct access to the full range of political
parties and stakeholders".
The organisation said
it "regrets that public statements by the South African government
to date have not given due prominence to the importance of Zimbabwe lifting
its media restrictions as a precondition for the polls."
In addition, Sanef
said it expected "all media, South African and foreign, to be granted
access to Zimbabwe for reporting the elections and general."
The group also urged
the SA government to demonstrate its commitment to media freedom in Zimbabwe
and the rest of Africa, by clearly and unequivocally supporting the principles
of media freedom and decrying publicly all attempts or actions to curtail
it.
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