Freedom of information laws struggle to take hold in Africa
In Uganda, a ruling this week in a landmark case of two journalists seeking to compel their government’s disclosure of multinationals oil deals highlighted the challenges to public transparency just before media leaders, press freedom advocates, officials, and former U.S. President Jimmy Carter gather in Ghana next week at the African Regional Conference on the Right…
Press freedom gets red card as World Cup approaches
As South Africa prepares to host the 2010 World Cup and “soccer fever” reaches its height, press freedom may be left on the benches. Police have recently subpoenaed two journalists working for private station e.tv to reveal their sources in a story about a scheme to commit violent crimes during the big event. On January 16, e.tv…
Attacks on the Press in 2008: Africa Developments
Angola | Burundi Central African Republic| Chad | Gabon| Gambia | Ghana | Guinea | Ivory Coast | Lesotho | Nigeria | Republic of Congo| Sierra Leone | South Africa | Togo ANGOLA • Three journalists for national state broadcaster Rádio Nacional de Angola were suspended indefinitely in October after questioning President José dos Santos’…
Beatrice Mtetwa, Media and Human Rights Lawyer, Zimbabwe
Burton Benjamin Award To Attend the Benefit Dinner (PDF)|Awards 2008 | Announcement of the Awardees | Bilal Hussein | Danish Karokhel and Farida Nekzad | Andrew Mwenda | Héctor Maseda Gutiérrez Beatrice Mtetwa is a prominent media and human rights lawyer and a 2005 recipient of CPJ’s International Press Freedom Award. Throughout the decade, Mtetwa has…
Exiled Zimbabwean editor shot, critically wounded
New York, July 27, 2007—Veteran editor Abel Mutsakani, one of dozens of Zimbabwean journalists forced into exile in neighboring South Africa, was shot in the chest on Monday after three unidentified men attacked him near his home in Johannesburg, according to news reports. Mutsakani, editor of the South Africa-based Zimbabwean news Web site ZimOnline, still had…