As voters go to – or stay away from – the municipal polls, Minister of Home Affairs will be casting his vote on the future of this newspaper. But, to misquote the squirrel in his government's own election advertisement, YOU can make it unhappen.
Botha served a letter this week on the Weekly Mail, warning that he is considering suspending the newspaper – and giving the publishers two weeks to make representations to him. He has warned the newspaper before, but this week's is the final warning. In other words, this newspaper could be taken off the streets in a fortnight. We don't know why he has suddenly decided to renew his attack on us after five months of silence. We can only believe that it is an election ploy to win votes.
In his letter Botha, Botha, citing eight articles in five recent newspapers of denigrating the security forces and promoting the image of the United Democratic Front, the African National Congress and the Pan Africanist Congress. These articles include an opinion piece by the Reverend Frank Chikane, an exposé of allegations of atrocities in Namibia, an article by academic Dr Tom Lodge entitled "Is the Spirit of Robert Sobukwe rising?", an American advertisement in support of the UDF, and reports on the ANC's new constitutional guidelines, including a commentary written on them by the PAC (but not the one we also published which was written by the Bureau for Information).
He has used a special new regulation which allows him to take into account warnings issued to a publication during the previous State of Emergency. There is every sign that Botha's latest threat is a serious one. So we say: VOTE NO! Cast your vote before October 26 and cast it against:
- Botha's latest onslaught on the press;
- His attempt to hide the news from you;
- His desire to silence his critics, such as the Weekly Mail.
You will be voting for a REAL broadening of democracy; the right to know what is happening i*n your country; and the right of the Weekly Mail to continue to publish. How to cast your vote: Write to The Hon J C G Botha, Ministry of Home Affairs, Private Bag X141, Pretoria 0001, and tell him what you think of his threat to close the Weekly Mail.
This article originally appeared in the Weekly Mail.
