18 May 10 | Index Index, minipost, Uncategorized
The funeral of an anti-government activist who died in police custody has been postponed following the intervention of Swaziland’s security forces. Sipho Jele, who was found hanged in his jail cell on May 4, was a member of the proscribed People’s United Democratic Movement (PUDEMO), he was originally arrested for wearing a t-shirt with the group’s logo. Jele’s funeral vigil was broken up by police officers, who removed a PUDEMO flag from Jele’s coffin, ordered the removal of banners supporting the organisation, and destroyed photographs of the deceased, before surrounding the coffin and refusing to leave. Jele’s family was forced to postpone the burial.
19 Mar 10 | Index Index, minipost, Uncategorized
A prominent South African newspaper has accused the African National Congress Youth League of using intimidation and fear to silence journalists. An editorial in the Business Day claimed that the youth wing of South Africa’s governing party have made “blatant attempts” to limit freedom of expression. Nineteen political correspondents have written an open letter of complaint after youth league spokesman Floyd Shivambu threatened several reporters when attempting to ‘leak’ a dossier. The National Editors Forum has also urged president Jacob Zuma to rein in the organisation from making personal attacks on individual media workers.
19 Mar 10 | Index Index, minipost, Uncategorized
The leader of the youth wing of South Africa’s ruling African National Congress (ANC) has been found guilty of hate speech. Julius Malema has been ordered to apologise for remarks he made last year, which suggested that the women who accused President Jacob Zuma of rape had enjoyed the experience. The prominent South African politician was ordered by the Equality Court to pay 50,000 rand to a shelter for abused women. Zuma was acquitted of rape in 2006 after he insisted that the sex with his accuser was consensual.
15 Feb 10 | Index Index, minipost
Mallam Tukur, editor and publisher of Desert Herald, an independent weekly in Kaduna state, has been arrested and threatened with prosecution on defamation charges. The Committee to Protect Journalists claim the threats are related to a recent article accusing Yobe’s Governor Ibrahim Geidam of corruption.
