Since the widespread protests and violent repression in the last months of 1984, the regime has attempted to limit the publication of information locally and internationally. At the same time it has demanded that journalists divulge information for use in trials of organisers and participants in these protests.
On two occasions in September, after funerals of people killed in the Vaal area during the protests, police confiscated film taken by foreign television crews. In Wattville, police confiscated film which was due to be shown on European television stations from two newsmen, Roger HARRIS of UPITN and Mike GAVSHON of Visnews, both major international agencies. They were arrested for entering the township without permits and were held briefly before being allowed to pay admission of guilt fines. Police said the film was being held as evidence that the two were in the township.
Again, on 26 September, at the funeral in Soweto of Bongani Kumalo, a COSAS leader, security police seized film shot by West German television and by Visnews. Police told one of the crew that the film was 'furthering the aims of a banned organisation', the ANC. Two months later Visnews was informed by police that the film was to be used in a criminal investigation and a member of the crew might be required to give evidence.
In October white journalists were barred from Soweto when the West Rand Development Board suspended the issuing of permits to white people wishing to enter the township. The South African Society of Journalists formally protested.
In a further move to block overseas transmission of information, the government denied visas to a team of six journalists from CBS, the United States television station, who had intended covering the visit of Senator Edward Kennedy to South Africa in January.
RAIDS AND DETENTIONS
- In the first of several raids on the offices of national and international media organisations during this period, security police entered offices housing three independent media agencies in Johannesburg on 9 October. They confiscated hundreds of videos, films, photographs and audio cassettes. Two of the agencies, Afrapix and Afrascope, supply material to a number of local and international publications. The third organisation, the Inter-Church Media Programme, said that police had presented a search warrant in connection with an investigation of high treason. Much of the material taken was of recent political events and meetings.
On 24 October Kalvin PRAKASIM a photographer working for Afroscope, was detained under Section 29 of the Internal Security Act. It was later reported that he had spent one week in hospital during November suffering from severe depression and had then been returned to police custody.
- The Johannesburg offices of the Media and Research Services (MARS) were raided by police in November and an employee of MARS, Obed BAPELA, detained. Several days later another MARS worker, Guy BERGER, was also detained. MARS is a non-profit organisation linked to the UDF.
- In December the offices in Johannesburg of the British television news agency ITN, were raided by police and 33 video tapes seized. The police spent two hours selecting tapes, which included footage of the Vaal area unrest, interviews with UDF officials, and all recordings labelled 'ANC'. Police later said that the search had been undertaken 'to facilitate the investigation of a high treason offence' and the possible contravention of Section 54 of the Internal Security Act, which deals with 'terrorism', 'subversion' and sabotage. Two of the tapes were retained. Press reports linked the raid to investigations of eight UDF members charged with treason in December.
- In Cape Town during the same week police seized 39 video cassettes in a raid at the offices of the Community Video Research Association. A spokesman for the organisation said that police had told him the search was connected to the raid on the ITN offices. All the cassettes were returned.
SUBPOENAS
The regime used powers under Section 205 of the Criminal Procedure Act, which compels the disclosure in court of information on any alleged offence, to issue subpoenas to at least 12 journalists, during November.
- Three journalists were called to verify reports of interviews with Thami MALI, a Transvaal organiser of the November stayaway, charged with 'subversion'. Anton HARBER and Jeanette MINNIE of the Rand Daily Mail appeared in court on 22 November, but the subpoenas were withdrawn a week later, after Harber had submitted an affidavit verifying the contents of his report and it had been found that Minnie had not interviewed Mali. Graham WATTS, of the Sunday Express, who appeared at an in camera court hearing, said afterwards that he had confirmed the accuracy of his article 'under protest'.
- Security police served Gary VAN STADEN, of the Star newspaper, with a second and almost identical subpoena shortly after he left court, having successfully challenged the validity of the first. Both notices related to a meeting of the Vaal Civic Association which Van Staden had attended in September, and required him to disclose the time and place of the meeting, the names of those who had attended and of whoever had invited him to attend, what had been discussed and whether an official statement had been issued at the meeting. Van Staden, who had pledged not to reveal his sources, was due to challenge the second subpoena in court on 14 January.
- The editors of three Cape newspapers, the Cape Times, the Argus and the Afrikaans paper, Die Burger, were subpoenaed to appear in court on 29 November to submit all photographs taken of students demonstrating at the University of the Western Cape on 14 September in protest against the opening of the new parliament. They were also ordered to give information about students who were allegedly involved in attending an illegal gathering. The three editors, who appeared in the Bellville Magistrate's Court on 29 November, were granted their request for a postponement of inquiries until February so that representations could be made to the Attorney-General.
- At least five other journalists were subpoenaed during the same week in connection with an operation in October 1983 by officials of the East Rand Administration Board (ERAB) to remove 'squatters' in Katlehong township. After seeing officials assault the squatters, and clergymen laid charges of assault and wrongful arrest against ERAB officials. In November the charges against the 23 protesters were withdrawn. However, Moroke, a colleague and at least three other journalists were subpoenaed to give information relating to charges laid by the ERAB against clergymen and others of incitement to violence. In January the Attorney-General decided not to prosecute in either case.
