UNITED DEMOCRATIC MOVEMENT

MEDIA RELEASE

PRESS FREEDOM ON THE AFRICAN CONTINENT REMAINS ILLUSIVE

 MEDIA STATEMENT ISSUED BY MALIZOLE DIKO
UDM NATIONAL SECRETARY

The United Democratic Movement (UDM) is concerned about reports that Zimbabwean police arrested the editor, Geoff Nyarota, of that country's only independent daily newspaper, the Daily News. According to these reports, Nyarota's colleagues suspected that his arrest was linked to the paper's coverage of the looting of white-owned farms in Zimbabwe in recent days.

Press freedom in Zimbabwe remains a far objective; This incident is only the latest in a series, which includes that bombing of the same newspaper's printing plant and the deportation of a BBC reporter earlier this year.

Press freedom in the African continent has dubious status. According to Press Freedom Survey 2000, only six African countries are in the "free" category, of which South Africa is one. Termed "partly free" were 17 countries and another 30 are listed as "not free"; of which Zimbabwe is one. According to this report "President Robert Mugabe stepped up verbal attacks against the independent media for being "unpatriotic"".

The UDM is apprehensive about press freedom in our country, since only recently, during the debate on President Mbeki's state of the nation address, an ANC Member of Parliament criticised South Africa's "liberal" media as being, amongst others, "unpatriotic". There seems to be a parallel between Mugabe's "unpatriotic" media and the SA government's view of our press.

The UDM calls on Government to unequivocally condemn any form of the restriction of freedom of expression, which includes freedom of the press and other media.

Enquiries:
Mr Malizole Diko
UDM National Secretary
083-759-6637

Pretoria
15 August 2001.