I n 2014, media freedom in South Africa was off to a disturbing start, with reports in late January that police shot dead 62-year-old freelance journalist, photographer and community activist, Michael Tsele, during a service delivery protest in Mothutlung in the North West of the country. This incident launched a year marked by increased assaults, intimidation and harassment towards media workers, in particular photographers. Deputy President Cyril Ramaphosa offered hope for the government’s attitude toward media freedom when he spoke at the South African National Editors’ Forum (SANEF) annual Nat Nakasa awards ceremony in June 2014. He said it was necessary for the media to hold government accountable by challenging it and being critical, but stated it was important to be balanced and also tell the good stories. In general, however, 2014 lay witness to a disturbing increase in anti-media messages from the South African ruling party. When the results of the national election were announced, for example, Malusi Gigaba, head of ANC election campaigns told journalists at a press conference on 11 May, “you campaigned hard against the ANC and we beat you. We defeated you.” FREE EXPRESSION AND THE LAW Overturned defamation conviction is individual victory but long term set-back for free expression In December 2014, journalist Cecil Motsepe won his appeal in the Pretoria High Court in South Africa, against the criminal defamation conviction handed down to him in June 2013. The conviction related to an article Motsepe, then a reporter for the daily newspaper Sowetan, wrote in 2009 investigating alleged racist judgments of a South African magistrate. [The shooting of freelance journalist and photographer, Michael Tsele] launched a year marked by increased assaults, intimidation and harassment towards media workers, in particular photographers. The overturned conviction was a victory for Motsepe. However, the Media Institute of Southern Africa (MISA) is deeply concerned because the court also ruled defamation as a crime for journalists is in line with South Africa’s constitution – a ruling described by the Freedom of Expression Institute as clearly inconsistent with the regional and international trend away from criminal defamation. “Spy Act”, “Secrecy Bill” and National Key Points Act too broad and vulnerable to abuse Some of the other key laws negatively impacting on access to information and So This is Democracy? 2014 51