South African court throws out urgent bid to gag Media24
Lusaka, August 10, 2023—The Committee to Protect Journalists welcomed a Gauteng High Court ruling on Tuesday to dismiss an urgent application by two businessmen connected to South African Deputy President Paul Mashatile to prevent the Media24 publishing group from referring to them as part of the “Alex Mafia.” In its ruling, the court described the…
Nepal’s hard-fought press freedom at risk amid restrictive bills, government pressure
Last year, when Raju Basnet was covering landgrabs in the Nepali city of Lalitpur, he knew he was playing with fire. His reports in the weekly Khojtalas alleged that powerful people, including government officials, were involved in the scheme and Basnet had already received multiple warnings to back off the story. Despite this, Basnet told…
Mandela’s Legacy of Media Freedom Stands Its Ground
How robust are the institutional safeguards that underpin Nelson Mandela’s vision of a strong and independent South African media? By Sue Valentine Nelson Mandela, pictured in May 2011, sometimes accused critical black journalists of disloyalty during his presidency. (AFP/Elmond Jiyane)