The South African National Editors Forum (Sanef) has joined journalists around the globe in celebrating World Press Freedom Day.
The day is held to celebrate press freedom and evaluate its status. It is also to recommit to defending attacks on journalists.
On Monday, ten journalists were killed in Kabul in Afghanistan in what the Editors Forum has described as the deadliest day for the media since 2001.
Sanef has expressed concern at the increasing attacks on journalists especially by communities during protests.
Sanef chairperson Mahlatse Mahlase says, “Just last week an SABC crew, their equipment was damaged because community members’ don’t like the fact that media is doing their job, which is to expose them when there’s looting of shops like we saw in North West. So, ordinary people in South Africa must see media freedom as their right.”
“It is not just the journalist being able to do their job. What we are doing, we are doing on their behalf. The Constitution protects their right to know. And it is the media that brings them that right to know.”
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