PRESS FREEDOM - The South African National Editors' Forum on January 29 expressed shock at the recent bombing of the Zimbabwe's Daily News newspaper. In a statement, Sanef called on the South African government to protest to the Zimbabwean government over the blast. Sanef said: "The blast was an indictment of the government of Zimbabwe, which had allowed a belief to take root among its supporters that anyone who dissented was easy prey. That the blast followed the large scale intimidation and assault of journalists at the newspaper by supporters of the ruling party is clear proof of who was responsible. Zimbabwe has indeed become a sorry mess where newspapers that fail to respond to physical intimidation are now silenced through bombs". Sanef condemned the bombing and called on the Zimbabwean government to investigate the blast and arrest the guilty parties. FXI was also horrified by the action. In a statement, FXI said that it believes the attack was an act of terrorism which amounted to an assault against freedom of expression in Zimbabwe and the region. FXI called on all organisations concerned with press freedom in and outside Zimbabwe to protest the attacks on "Daily News". Meanwhile, on February 2, various media organisations staged a protest in front of the Zimbabwean Embassy in Pretoria. Deputy High Commissioner Danson Modekunye said that they would leave no stone unturned in probing the incidents.

PROTESTS - "Sowetan" on January 29 reported that the Media Workers Association of South Africa has resolved to picket media companies throughout the year in Gauteng to ensure that they paid workers market-related salaries and lived up to the spirit of the Employment Equity Act and Skills Development Act. The decision was taken at the Gauteng Regional shop stewards' council. Mwasa spokesman Ernest Dlamini said: "We have declared 2001 as the year of action and taking Mwasa to the people. We will hound all media companies that continue to ignore the Employment Equity Act and those that underpay their employees." Shop stewards had identified the South African Broadcasting Corporation, Independent Newspapers, Times Media limited and Naspers as immediate targets for the campaign. Also to be subjected to pickets would be New Africa Publications Limited, owners of Sowetan, for "failing to ensure black economic empowerment filters down to the workers". Dlamini said it was shameful that seven years into the new democracy, blacks still did not have capital or operational control of newsrooms. He further called on journalists in particular to "join Mwasa because managers are becoming more conservative by the day". He said a news conference would be called next week at which dates and venues for pickets will be announced. Meanwhile, Mwasa is to announce the creation of an annual award to recognise media workers "who have gone out of their way to make workers' lives better and transform the system against all odds."

JOURNALISTS - "Sowetan" on January 31 reported that the International Federation of Journalists had condemned the deaths of 62 journalists killed last year in the line of duty. In its 2000 year-end report, the IFJ said: "The death toll speaks for itself and reveals how journalists risk their lives daily for expressing independent opinions and exposing wrongdoing. In every corner of the world, journalists continue to pay a terrible price in the struggle for democracy." The IFJ report listed 37 journalists as having been killed as a result of their work and detailed 20 cases as under investigation. The deaths of five media staff were also listed. The list also highlighted a number of examples of assassination. IFJ noted with concern the dangers posed to journalists and media staff working in dangerous situations and conflict zones. "Many journalists are killed, injured or harassed in war zones either targeted by one side or another or caught in the crossfire of violence. Others are the victims of premeditated assault and intimidation either by criminals, terrorists or by agencies of the state- the police, military or the security forces," the organisations said in a report. IFJ also advised journalists and media organisations of steps to take to reduce risks. These included "adequate preparation, training and social protection; media professionals must be informed and inform themselves about the political, physical and social terrain in which they are working; must guard against risk-taking for competitive advantage and should promote co-operation among journalists whenever conditions exist which are potentially hazardous; and governments must not restrict unnecessarily the freedom of movement of journalists or compromise the right of news media to gather, produce and disseminate information in secure and safe conditions". IFJ has recorded the deaths of more than 700 journalists and media staff over the past 10 years.

INTERNET - "The Star" on January 31 reported that the African National Congress has begun publishing a political journal on the Internet. Political analysts said that the move was clearly an attempt by the ANC ,shaken by apathy in the last election, to encourage public engagement in its activities. But they said the ANC needed to polish its communication strategies as political battles were inevitably fought in the media. ANC spokesperson Smuts Ngonyama conceded that his organisation had launched the website party as a response to shortcomings in how the media reported on its policies and activities. "There are positions that we regard as important to go directly to the people," said Ngonyama. ANC president Thabo Mbeki, who will have a regular column on the Friday site, said: "We are faced with the virtually unique situation that, among the democracies, the overwhelmingly dominant tendency in South African politics, represented by the ANC, has no representation whatsoever in the mass media". He added: "We therefore have to contend with the situation that what masquerades as "public opinion" as reflected in the bulk of our media, is in fact minority opinion informed by the historic social and political position occupied by this minority". Wits University professor Tom Lodge said that the ANC's move was part of a bigger attempt by the organisation to encourage public engagement in its activities. He said that the ANC was "techno-conscious" although "I don't feel websites win political battles.

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