JOINT MEDIA STATEMENT OF THE SA NATIONAL EDITORS’ FORUM AND THE AFRICAN NATIONAL CONGRESS ON THE OUTCOME OF A MEETING HELD IN JOHANNESBURG MAY 21, 2015

A delegation of leaders of the SA National Editors’ Forum (Sanef) met with a delegation of the national communications unit of the African National Congress (ANC) at the Sanef offices in Johannesburg this morning. The Sanef delegation was led by its Chairperson, Mpumelelo Mkhabela, and the ANC’s by national spokesperson Zizi Kodwa.

The meeting was requested by the ANC to discuss the controversy over a document that the organisation released last week purportedly produced by the Daily Dispatch newspaper. The ANC had accused the newspaper of planning to bring down the ANC-led government in the Eastern Cape.

The meeting could not verify the authenticity of the document as the Daily Dispatch denied its authorship. The meeting agreed that the ANC and the Daily Dispatch will continue with discussions on the veracity of the document and their relations outside the meeting.

The meeting further agreed that Sanef would meet with ANC leadership on a regular basis to iron out possible misunderstandings. The first such occasion will be the Sanef AGM on July 4 in Johannesburg.

Sanef also took the opportunity to appraise the ANC of the work being done by itself, the Press Council of SA and the Interactive Advertising Bureau (IAB) on a regulatory framework for both print and digital platforms. This work predates the Film and Publications Board (FPB) draft rules now being discussed with communities. The ANC has committed to attend the panel discussion also on July 4 where the new regulatory framework shall be unveiled.

Statement issued by Mathatha Tsedu, SANEF Executive Director and Zizi Kodwa, ANC National Spokesperson, May 21 2015