New South African government threatens press with tribunal
South Africa: Editors Rebuff Media Tribunal Idea Jocelyn Newmarch 26 July 2010 Johannesburg — SOUTH African editors yesterday vowed to resist attempts to institute a state-appointed media tribunal andrejected legislation that they said restricted public access to information. The South African National Editors Forum (Sanef) said yesterdaythat there was an existing system of media self-regulation, involving the Press Council and Press Ombudsman. It vowed to campaign for public support formedia freedom, and urged a "zero-tolerance" approach to press code violations. Addressing editors on Saturday, Justice Minister Jeff Radebe said that in exercising the right to free expression, there was a duty to guard against "furtherance of propaganda for war and incitement of imminent violence, to name just a few examples". Mr Radebe's remarks were seen as alluding to a media tribunal, first proposed at the ANC&