In its general campaign of intimidation and harassment of the media, the South African government has taken new steps to implement the system of official censorship of newspapers and other periodicals introduced under the Emergency regulations in August 1987. In a magazine interview given in December last year in which he tried to justify arbitrary censorship, Home Affairs Minister Stoffel Botha had to admit 'I would rather use the courts in order to obtain action against the press. But we will flood our courts.'

Media reporting is restricted by an estimated one hundred statutory laws such as the Internal Security, Publications, Protection of Information, Police, Defence, and Prisons Acts. The new censorship system together with this legislation puts the media under pressure to exercise self-censorship. However, the Catholic-funded weekly New Nation legally challenged the government's powers to muzzle the press in January. (FOCUS 74, p.2; Star 14.12.87; Tel 3.1.88)

After being officially warned at the end of November that, in the Minister's opinion, it was publishing 'subversive propaganda', New Nation received a further letter about its issue of 3 December. (WM 11.12.87; CT 16.11.87; Star 12.12.87)

In January the paper made the first legal challenge to the government's new restrictions. The Rand Supreme Court was due to hear the case in March. A Publications Act ban was also placed on the issue of 3 December, after the Publications Appeal Board had eventually lifted bans on three earlier issues. (CT 16.11.87; WM 4/11.12.87; Star 12.12.87; NN 14.1.88; NN Press Release 1.2.88)

The Cape Town weekly South and the bimonthly journal Work In Progress were officially warned in mid-December about the content of their September - November issues. South was also under investigation by the security police, which charged its editor and a reporter under the Police Act with publishing a false report about the police. Bans on three issues published in July and August were lifted by the Publications Appeal Board only in December. (South 3.12.87; WM 4.12.87; BBC 23.12.87)

The daily Sowetan, and the Weekly Mail were sent preliminary warnings in mid-November and mid-December respectively. (Star 15.11.87, 18.12.87)

In a move to disrupt a campaign to free political prisoners and detainees police raided the UDF's head office and other offices in the Johannesburg area at the beginning of December and seized copies of the UDF pamphlet 'People's Christmas against the Emergency to Unlock Apartheid's Jails'. (S/GN 4.12.87)

  • Despite an official announcement that his release from prison was unconditional, Govan MBEKI was served with an order in December which prohibited him from leaving the Port Elizabeth area without police permission and from giving interviews or supplying material to the press. He immediately instructed his lawyer to challenge the restriction order in court. Mbeki is already 'listed' as a person who may not be quoted by the media without government approval. (Evening Post 10.11.87, DD 15.12.87; CT 16.12.87)

Following the banning of a public rally in Zwide, Port Elizabeth, at which Mbeki was scheduled to speak after his release in November, the security police succeeded in banning another rally due to be held on 13 December in Athlone, Cape Town. A general ban was subsequently placed by the Divisional Police Commissioner on the holding of meetings by the Mbeki Reception Committee in six Western Cape towns up until the end of the year. As a result, a meeting that was called to protest against the restrictions placed on Mbeki had to be cancelled at the very last minute. (FOCUS 74 p.1; S 10.12.87; NN 15.12.87)

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