The South African National Editors Forum (Sanef) has expressed concern about Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) leader Julius Malema’s attack on journalists.
Malema accused some senior journalists of showing bias towards Public Enterprises Minister Pravin Gordhan and President Cyril Ramaphosa.
The statement came out on Tuesday during Malema’s address to his supporters who had been protesting outside the State Capture Commission venue in Johannesburg.
Sanef argues that they accept politicians’ right to speak their mind and raise concerns about the media; however journalists have a right to freedom of expression.
Sanef’s Mary Papayya says: “We ask that Politicians, business leaders, and other leaders don’t single out specific journalists. They should rather engage with the Editors who employ the journalists. We believe that this is critical to protect the safety of journalists.”
“We also say that if people have concerns about published work or broadcast… we encourage them to use the complaints channels already in place. This includes the Press Ombudsmen, the Broadcast Complaints Commission, or the regulator ICASA.”
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