The Government Communication and Information System (GCIS) has demanded the retraction of a statement by editors alleging the media was barred from a stadium visit by President Jacob Zuma.
”We hereby call on the leadership of Sanef [the South African National Editors’ Forum] to retract this statement and to apologise publicly for misleading the public,” GCIS spokesperson Themba Maseko said on Friday.
On Thursday, Sanef claimed four journalists were given privileged accreditation to accompany Zuma on a tour of the Moses Mabhida Stadium in Durban, while others were excluded.
The tour took place on Saturday and the ”privileged journalists” were listed as being from the Daily News, the Mercury, the Sunday Times and the South African Broadcasting Corporation.
Journalists from the South African Press Association, e.tv, the Sowetan, Talk Radio 702, Ilanga, Gagasi FM, the Daily Sun and other media groups were apparently excluded.
”Sanef views privileged accreditation and the exclusion of a majority of journalists from a newsworthy function, especially one that involves the president, as unacceptable and unconstitutional censorship,” Sanef chairperson Jovial Rantao said.
On Friday, Maseko said GCIS ”was neither part of the arrangements nor involved in the event”.
He said GCIS was ”extremely disappointed” that Sanef ”did not bother to verify the facts before issuing the statement”.
He said the GCIS and the government did not subscribe to any process of privileged accreditation.
Maseko said the two organisations had built a ”good relationship … based on mutual respect and trust” over a number of years.
”We are extremely puzzled by this act.”
Raymond Louw, a member of the Sanef media freedom committee, said the organisation could not comment until it had studied the GCIS statement.
The forum would also need to check with its source about the matter.
”We are investigating,” he said.
Earlier, the office of the Presidency also denied that privileged accreditation was given for the event.
”From what has been gathered, there seems to have been some confusion regarding accreditation rather than a deliberate attempt to exclude certain journalists,” acting spokesperson Vincent Magwenya said in a statement.
”The Presidency wishes to assure the Sanef and the public in general that it does not have a policy of freezing out particular journalists and/or media houses.” — Sapa