The South African National Editors’ Forum (Sanef) and other civil society organisations will picket on Wednesday in support of journalist Karyn Maughan as she seeks to have the private prosecution brought against her by former president Jacob Zuma struck off the roll.
The picket will take place outside the Pietermaritzburg high court, where the matter will be heard.
On Tuesday, Sanef said it supports Maughan's court bid.
“Maughan is a journalist who was doing her job, something Zuma and his legal team refuse to accept. Maughan’s constitutional rights have been abused by this private prosecution,” the organisation said.
“Media freedom is paramount in our constitutional democracy, hence there is a need to defend it all the time. Sanef will be outside the court on Wednesday to show solidarity with Maughan.
“Various civil society organisations have indicated their support for Sanef and Maughan, as they see the importance of upholding media freedom and allowing journalists to freely do their work. All organisations are united against this targeting and attempt to intimidate Maughan.”
Sanef added that it will always speak out against anyone seeking to silence journalists as it “believes in the ability of our judiciary to spot any abuses of the courts, which we believe is what this private prosecution is doing”.
“Women journalists, such as Maughan, face vicious attacks online, where they are harassed and bullied. We have also noted how gender-based violence is evident in various spaces and online, where women are body-shamed and called all kinds of names.”
The organisation said it hopes the social media charter, recently launched by the South African Human Rights Commission (SAHRC), will assist in deterring bullies who use social media for their nefarious agendas.
Sanef concluded by saying it supports the view that the charges against Maughan have no merits and should be dismissed.
“We will continue to support Maughan and we are hopeful of a positive outcome in court,” it said.
On Monday the court heard that the private prosecution of advocate Billy Downer and Maughan is an attempt to harass Downer and stop him from performing his duties, and is the “latest in a 19-year series of legal manoeuvres, the Stalingrad strategy, all of which have been found to be baseless”, according to Downer’s advocate Geoff Budlender.
Downer, who is the lead prosecutor in Zuma’s arms deal-related corruption and fraud case, has made an application for the summons in the private prosecution to be set aside.
He also wants judges Gregory Kruger, Jacqui Henriques and Thokozile Masipa, sitting as a full bench, to interdict Zuma from taking any similar criminal action against him.
Maughan has launched a similar application.
Zuma was in court despite the EFF’s national shutdown campaign.
TimesLIVE
Zuma vs Maughan: Sanef to picket outside Pietermaritzburg court
Image: Sandile Ndlovu
The South African National Editors’ Forum (Sanef) and other civil society organisations will picket on Wednesday in support of journalist Karyn Maughan as she seeks to have the private prosecution brought against her by former president Jacob Zuma struck off the roll.
The picket will take place outside the Pietermaritzburg high court, where the matter will be heard.
On Tuesday, Sanef said it supports Maughan's court bid.
“Maughan is a journalist who was doing her job, something Zuma and his legal team refuse to accept. Maughan’s constitutional rights have been abused by this private prosecution,” the organisation said.
“Media freedom is paramount in our constitutional democracy, hence there is a need to defend it all the time. Sanef will be outside the court on Wednesday to show solidarity with Maughan.
“Various civil society organisations have indicated their support for Sanef and Maughan, as they see the importance of upholding media freedom and allowing journalists to freely do their work. All organisations are united against this targeting and attempt to intimidate Maughan.”
Sanef added that it will always speak out against anyone seeking to silence journalists as it “believes in the ability of our judiciary to spot any abuses of the courts, which we believe is what this private prosecution is doing”.
“Women journalists, such as Maughan, face vicious attacks online, where they are harassed and bullied. We have also noted how gender-based violence is evident in various spaces and online, where women are body-shamed and called all kinds of names.”
The organisation said it hopes the social media charter, recently launched by the South African Human Rights Commission (SAHRC), will assist in deterring bullies who use social media for their nefarious agendas.
Sanef concluded by saying it supports the view that the charges against Maughan have no merits and should be dismissed.
“We will continue to support Maughan and we are hopeful of a positive outcome in court,” it said.
On Monday the court heard that the private prosecution of advocate Billy Downer and Maughan is an attempt to harass Downer and stop him from performing his duties, and is the “latest in a 19-year series of legal manoeuvres, the Stalingrad strategy, all of which have been found to be baseless”, according to Downer’s advocate Geoff Budlender.
Downer, who is the lead prosecutor in Zuma’s arms deal-related corruption and fraud case, has made an application for the summons in the private prosecution to be set aside.
He also wants judges Gregory Kruger, Jacqui Henriques and Thokozile Masipa, sitting as a full bench, to interdict Zuma from taking any similar criminal action against him.
Maughan has launched a similar application.
Zuma was in court despite the EFF’s national shutdown campaign.
TimesLIVE
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