Africa-Press – South-Africa. The South African National Editors’ Forum (Sanef) has expressed “outrage” by former president Jacob Zuma’s move to cite News24’s specialist legal writer Karyn Maughan as a respondent in his latest court papers.
Earlier this week, the National Prosecuting Authority issued a nolle prosequi certificate, indicating it was not going to prosecute advocate Billy Downer.
Downer is the lead prosecutor in Zuma’s corruption charges case.
Maughan previously wrote a story following a letter from Brigadier-General Mcebisi Mdutywa informing prison and prosecuting authorities about Zuma’s health status.
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Zuma and his lawyers claim Downer and advocate Andrew Breitenbach leaked the letter to Maughan. All three have been cited by the former president.
“The letter from Mdutywa – and not Zuma’s health records – was part of the court documents and, therefore, a public document. Once papers are filed in court, they become public record, hence the move by Zuma’s legal team is unwarranted,” Sanef said in a statement on Thursday.
The organisation said it supported News24 in defending any legal action that would be instituted against the company.
“This latest move by Zuma’s legal team should be condemned and viewed as intimidation not only towards Maughan, but other journalists as well. Sanef will continue to support journalists facing intimidation in an age where women journalists are particularly targeted through intimidation and bullying.
“This move is not only cowardly, but appalling as we continue to see some sectors of our society continuously targeting journalists and doing their best to stop them from doing their work.”
News24 editor-in-chief Adriaan Basson said the publication would defend any legal action instituted by Zuma against the title or its journalists.
“We believe this is an attempt by Mr Zuma to intimidate the media and muzzle critical reporting of him. We shall not be intimidated and will continue reporting on him in the public interest,” Basson said on Wednesday.
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Meanwhile, Sanef said it was also worried about the State Security Agency (SSA) taking journalist Thabo Makwakwa and his employer, the Daily News, to court over the reporter’s possession of a classified report allegedly compiled by US intelligence services detailing several individuals who posed a threat to South Africa’s security.
The SSA claimed Makwakwa was unlawfully in possession of the report, which had not been declassified.
“Sanef believes there are several avenues for recourse the SSA could have explored in resolving this matter rather than approaching the courts.
“The continued efforts to privately prosecute journalists are worrying as they present an environment where media freedom is restricted, an anomaly in any constitutional democracy. South Africa cannot afford to allow a culture where individuals and institutions are quick to sue journalists. Sanef is getting legal advice on both matters.”
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