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Written by Guest User - Friday, 03 September 2010 00:00
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A joint statement by editors of Caxton Community Newspapers The ANC’s tirade against our press is focusing the spotlight on the speck in the newspapers' eyes and avoiding the log in their own. Relentlessly, evidence keeps piling up of greed in high places, corruption, destructive factionalism, incompetence and poor delivery. And relentlessly - as they should - newspapers report on this. Would that an increasing number of stirring successes at getting the basics right, such as improving education and creating jobs, could be what the press had to feed on, rather than the current fare.
But with so much rotten meat to chew on, newspapers - in their universally accepted role of watchdog - are indeed making a meal of it and therein lies the root cause of the bad blood between the government and the press. Newspapers are by no means perfect. Sloppy, ill-informed, sensational, unfair and inaccurate reporting does take place and there's no doubt that such journalism does our country a huge disservice. But the curtailment of free speech as the price to be paid for that, is a million times more serious than the problem it purports to address.
The ANC's own history demonstrates how fragile freedom is and how tough it is to regain, once lost. The government's centre of attention should be on stopping the rot, not on stopping the reporting of the rot. Attempts to tamper with the public's right to know, need therefore to be resisted at all costs. It is becoming almost a cliché to say the 2010 Fifa World Cup gave us a glimpse of what South Africa could and ought to be like, but that insight is no less compelling for it. Behind its often scary façade an impressive country still lurks.
What was different about the World Cup? A widely supported, sound plan was in place and most South Africans pulled out all the stops to ensure that everything worked accordingly. Much of the credit for that goes to the ANC. What a pity then that the level of planning, execution and buy-in, so strikingly evident for that tournament, is not our daily bread. Running the country the way we ran the World Cup, is the way forward. Curtailing free speech to cover our tracks when we fail, is a retrogressive, dangerous step backwards.
Speak up for your right to know
by emailing your protest to
This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
or SMS the word "media" followed by your comment to 34274. SMS costs R2.
All comments will be presented to the South African National Editors’ Forum.
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Written by Mark Kinnear - Thursday, 26 August 2010 17:59
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Lowvelders have been waiting a lifetime for tonight.
Up until today we have had to travel to Puma Stadium, Loftus Versfeld or Coca-Cola Park to watch Currie Cup rugby. Tonight we only have to travel a few kilometres down the road to Mbomela Stadium to watch what is known worldwide as the oldest and toughest domestic rugby competition on the planet.
Ticket sales have been going well and official sources say that about 30 000 fans will be at the match tonight. I hope with payday yesterday and the notorious Lowveld habit of waiting until the last moment this figure could be closer to
40 000.
It is going to be interesting to see how fans’ loyalties are divided. Yes, we live in Mpumalanga but there are definitely more Blue Bulls supporters in the Lowveld than Pumas supporters. This does not necessarily mean that the Pumas will receive less support than the Blue Bulls tonight. All the neutrals will be on the side of the Pumas. There is no way any upstanding Western Province, Sharks, Free State or Lions fan will shout for the defending champions.
But it is possible that there will be more Blue Bulls flags flying and that the Blue Bulls might get a louder cheer than the Pumas when the teams run onto the field.
But which team has the most fans and even which team wins tonight is not what’s important about the occasion. That it is happening is the most important.
You and I need to show that it is worth the Pumas’ while to come play at Mbombela Stadium. If the match is a success and well supported, the Pumas will come visit Nelspruit again - maybe this time against Province or the Sharks.
And if we can prove to all that we can nearly fill the stadium up for a Currie Cup game then there is no doubt that we can fill it up to capacity for an international.
The Springboks against one of the Home Nations, or Argentina, or Italy. Then one day the ultimate battle in rugby, The Boks versus the All Blacks.
It’s up to us, the rugby-loving residents of the Lowveld. We have the stadium we have always wanted - now let’s support it totally and unconditionally.
If you haven’t done so yet, get to a Computicket branch and buy your tickets now. The match kicks off at 19:10. See you there.
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Written by Peter Doble - Friday, 13 August 2010 00:00
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Five years ago I was new to this country, a liberal pom with hopes that many probably thought naïve. One of my first articles for this newspaper was a synopsis of my reasons for choosing to live in South Africa.
The love and appreciation for the place and people has not changed. However, recent events have prompted me to feel that times have altered - and alarm bells are ringing for the future.
The sacrifices and unity felt during the World Cup have already been forgotten and normal service resumed. The deep-seated woes of the nation were consigned to the sidelines but have sprung back with a vengeance.
The judiciary and law enforcement - already wobbling and suspect - have taken the centre stage. The national police commissioner has all but admitted that he has insufficient resources to even scratch the surface of the wrongs committed in society.
Despite the lip service paid by some politicians, there is actually no will to eradicate the fundamental issues. Crime does pay. Bribery is endemic. There is no zero tolerance. There is no desire to support the whistle-blowers, no wish to curtail corruption, no moral or ideological crusade to make this a country fit for all.
The African National Congress has started to throw off constitutional government and is trying to impose legal strangleholds that will destroy any hope of future democratic governance.
Faith in the ruling party starts from a low base. Individuals are not elected, giving ruling party leaders scope to place, retain and move around supporters no matter how incompetent or suspect.
Toe the party line and you will be rewarded.
Piecemeal changes become accepted as the norm. Everyday freedoms are eroded until the body politic has, in its grip, the two bastions of civil freedom - the impartial judiciary and the media. Neither estate is perfect and there will always be mistakes. But correction and criticism are part of the game.
The Orwellian concept of the pigs changing the rules and gradually consolidating their hold on the farm is revealing itself in every respect in South Africa today. We have, like it or not, political intervention by a ruling elite which wishes to silence dissenters, plunder resources, obfuscate debate, ignore essential facts and lull the masses into perpetual conformity.
What the elite fails to observe is that they are all paid from the public purse. They are accountable to every citizen.
Many of people have no idea what is going on and the remainder have given up caring. It's a recipe for disaster.
South Africa’s laws and regulations fill volumes but there is no will to stabilise the country and its cultures through uniform implementation. Greed and poverty are uneasy bedfellows. The begging bowl is extended further and meanwhile every contract, tender, job vacancy and financial transaction is treated as a tradable commodity. Thus the dark stain of corruption permeates its way through every layer of society.
Into this dismal state, the government has introduced the so-called Protection of Information Bill. It is a tool used at the discretion of individuals who feel at risk of exposure.
Using the forces of the state to harass and intimidate is the last resort of a regime that is failing. The wheel is turning full circle to the tactics of the apartheid era. The writing is now large upon the wall and, despite all the earnest denials, will result in a perpetuation of the plundering and eradication of freedom of speech.
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