Statements

MEDIA STATEMENT FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

Released Friday, May 20, 2011

The Foreign Correspondents' Association of Southern Africa expresses its condolences for the tragic death of South African photographer Anton Hammerl.

We strongly condem his killing in the Libyan desert by pro-Gaddafi security forces on 5 April 2011. As fellow journalists working in foreign territories we would like to state that the misleading information about Hammerl's whereabouts given by the Government of Libya is totally unacceptable.

The FCA is very alarmed by this brutal violation of human rights and reiterates its call to uphold the principles of freedom of the media.

******************

MEDIA STATEMENT FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

Released Wednesday, April 13, 2011

The Foreign Correspondents' Association of Southern Africa strongly condemns the treatment of journalists by the security forces in Swaziland.

Yesterday and today a number of our members, including an FCA board member, were detained, harassed and expelled for merely doing their jobs.

We believe that as a member of SADC, the government of Swaziland has a responsibility to uphold the principles of freedom of the media. We call upon the government of Swaziland to release all journalists detained immediately.

******************

MEDIA STATEMENT FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

Released Friday, August 6, 2010

The Foreign Correspondents' Association is very alarmed at recent moves to curtail press freedom in South Africa and the arrest this week of an investigative journalist.

In our view, there appears to be a deliberate attempt by the governing party, through proposed legislation, to curb our profession's ability to hold the government to task.

A free and open press is one of the pillars of democracy and unfortunately there is little evidence of this on the African continent, other than in South Africa.

Any attempt by government to control, monitor or limit the ability of journalists to do their job threatens democracy.

The arrest this week of a journalist from the Sunday Times and the manner in which it was conducted is deeply worrying.

That a media house is forced to go to court to release a journalist being held without charges and no apparent case, is eerily reminiscent of what we have seen in Zimbabwe and other countries with a tradition of intimidating journalists.

Foreign Correspondents' Association Board

******************

MEDIA STATEMENT FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

Released Friday, April 9, 2010

The Foreign Correspondents' Association wishes to express its outrage at the treatment of members of the foreign media during Thursday's ANCYL press conference at Luthuli House.

Mr Malema's personal attack on a BBC correspondent Jonah Fisher for asking tough questions was both abusive and unbecoming of a politician in any democratic society.

The foreign media, including the BBC, played a major role in exposing the atrocities and inequalities of Apartheid.

We pride ourselves in exposing hypocrisy, corruption and the abuse of power, no matter who governs.

That the media, including foreign broadcasters, were invited to this press conference at the headquarters of the ruling party and then subjected to an attack is a worrying sign for democracy and the role of the free press in this country.

Foreign Correspondents' Association Board.

******************

The FCA met with the National Press Club and the South African Editors' Forum (SANEF) to discuss the issue, and has requested a meeting with President Jacob Zuma.