State of the media in Southern Africa - 2003 MISA-Lesotho (also known as Miles) is dedicated to the free flow of information, the right of access to information and the freedom of journalists and media houses to disseminate information and news truthfully, objectively and without fear or favour. To this end the regional MISA body launched an intensive campaign this year to promote the adoption of access to information legislation in the SADC region. The campaign aims to raise people’s awareness of their right to access information. Armed with this knowledge, they would then be in a position to exercise that right by demanding information from government and State institutions in order to participate more meaningfully in the democratic process. MISA-Lesotho is also heartened to learn from the statement made by Lesotho’s AttorneyGeneral, Fine Maema, at one of these programmes on July 5 2003, that the Government of Lesotho is now actively pursuing the finalisation of processes leading up to the tabling of the Access and Receipt of Information Bill 2000 in Parliament. Earlier this year, MISA-Lesotho called on the Government to consider seriously the passage of this bill, which would put Lesotho amongst the more advanced countries in the region in matters of public access to information. This is a laudable initiative which MISA-Lesotho unreservedly endorses and supports. Press Statement October 17, 2003 TOPIC: Hefer Commission’s decision to subpoena journalists T he Lesotho chapter of the Media Institute of Southern Africa (MISA-Lesotho) notes with great concern the decision by the South African Hefer Commission of Inquiry to subpoena and/or summon journalists to appear before that establishment, and to reveal their sources of information with regard to news reports indicating that the South African Director of Public Prosecutions, Bulelani Ngcuka, was an apartheid era spy. MISA-Lesotho regards this as a direct undermining of the role of the media in any society and an unacceptable threat to press freedom, freedom of expression and the people’s right to information. MISA-Lesotho wishes to reiterate the sentiments of our counterparts, MISA-South Africa, that media practitioners are watchdogs in the public interest and not police dogs. Furthermore, we echo our counterparts’ clarion call that “the targeting of the fourth estate as an easy one-stop shop for information in respect of civil and criminal cases must be vigorously discouraged”. We reiterate the call of MISA-South Africa on Justice Hefer to refrain forthwith from allowing his commission to be used to throttle freedom of expression by harassing and threatening journalists by way of subpoenas and summons. The media is the eye, ear and voice of the voiceless. Therefore: “what, in the end, could be more central to free speech, than that every segment of society should have a voice?” The media represents every segment of society and press freedom is a pillar of the development of any democratic dispensation. The South African media has the constitutional right not to remain silent on issues of national concern. MISA-Lesotho therefore appeals to the South African authorities to support, and not to impair press freedom. Enquiries: Mr Malefetsane Nkhahle, The National Director Tel: 00 (266) 22 320941 Fax: 00 (266) 22 310560 E-mail: medinles@lesoff.co.za E-mail: malefetsan@yahoo.com Website: www.misa.org So This Is Democracy? 2003 133 Media Institute of Southern Africa