JOURNALIST SAFETY
Whilst southern Africa recorded fewer
incidents of attacks against journalists in
2017, reports indicate a steep increase
in the brutality of those attacks. Many
such attacks emanated from successful anti-media campaigns by populist
political and social leaders. Campaigns
designed to sow distrust of mainstream
media culminated in physical violence
especially against journalists covering
street protests or demonstrations.

STRENGTHENING NORMS AND
STANDARDS
The Special Rapporteur on Freedom of
Expression and Access to Information
of the African Commission on Human
and Peoples’ Rights (ACHPR), Lawrence
Mute, in November 2017 indicated that
he would prioritise the revision and/or
expansion of the ACHPR’s Declaration
of Principles on Freedom of Expression
in Africa, 2002. The main objective of
the Declaration is to elaborate on the
scope and content of Article 9 of the
African Charter, which guarantees the
right to information and freedom of expression, and it has been acknowledged
that over time major pertinent issues
have emerged, which are either not covered at all or are covered insufficiently
in the Declaration.
Civil society groups have called for the
inclusion of emerging internet rights and
access to information in the proposed
revision of the Declaration.

NOT ALL IS LOST
Namibia hosted its inaugural internet
governance forum in September 2017.
Efforts to promote mutli-stakeholder
policy-making in Information and Communication Technology (ICTs) are bearing fruit.

12

So This is Democracy? 2017

Malawi’s access to information law
was promulgated in January 2017, over
twelve years after it was introduced.
The law facilitates access to information
about elected officials and government
institutions.
The change of guard in South Africa ushered in President Cyril Ramaphosa who
appears more committed to an open
society than former President Zuma.
Looming threats of a statutory Media
Appeals Tribunal which would inevitably usurp the self-regulatory functions of
the Press Council appear to have been
abated.

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