Major Win for Freedom of Expression in South Africa

Country: South Africa
August 16, 2016
News

On July 27, 2016 a South African Labour court ruled to reverse the dismissal of four journalists recently fired by the South African Broadcasting Corporation (SABC). The journalists were fired after they criticized SABC’s decision not to air footage of the recent violent protests on television. The court called for the journalists to be reinstated by the SABC immediately and without further disciplinary action. This ruling is an important win for press freedom in South Africa and for journalists who have increasingly faced politically motivated censorship.

On the heels of the ruling, South Africa also experienced a “small revolution” during their August elections. For the first time in its history, the African National Congress (ANC) took a hit during the election, dropping under 60 percent of the votes. While the ANC is still supported by the majority of voters, the drop in its popularity was seen as a direct rebuke of the party in what is widely believed to have been free and fair elections.