The value the African National Congress (ANC) government places on a free, independent and outspoken press in democratic South Africa cannot be overstated, Arts and Culture Minister Pallo Jordan said on Friday night.
He was speaking in Midrand at a media-freedom dinner jointly presented by the South African National Editors’ Forum and his department.
”A free press can temper the appetite of any government to amass power at the expense of the citizen,” Jordan said.
His speech focused on the commemoration of the 1977 press bannings that restricted anti-apartheid organisations and closed down two newspapers.
Jordan said: ”A free press can be the vigilant watchdog of the public against the temptation to abuse power. This is all the more reason why the South African media should more accurately reflect the diversity and variety of viewpoints among our people.
”Media diversity remains one of the critical challenges facing democratic South Africa and media owners, media workers and their organisations should be giving this greater attention,” the minister said.
Earlier in his address, he spoke of the ”awesome responsibility” of those responsible for the media in this country. ”While we should all pride ourselves in our collective achievement of media freedom, we cannot afford to lose sight of the manner [in which] it has been used and abused in the past.”
Jordan referred also to recent criticisms of and speculation around the governing party’s intentions with the media.
”It has become the favourite hobby horse of some in the media to question and interrogate the ANC’s track record and commitment to media freedom. The ANC and the government it leads have nothing to fear from criticism and will not wilt under criticism or close scrutiny. It is my view that robust debate can only help us to deepen our democracy.”
Jordan said debate is a two-way street that contributes to the health of a democracy by calling attention to those actions and omissions that do not measure up to the people’s expectations.
In his closing remarks, the minister reiterated the 1994 assurance of then-president Nelson Mandela that an ANC government ”will strive for an open society in which vigorous debate is encouraged through a free press and other media; in which equal status is accorded to all languages, cultures and religious beliefs; in which women will receive recognition as equals, deserving of the respect and dignity intrinsic to being human.
”I challenge anybody to say we are not living up to this.” — Sapa