Sanef wishes outgoing chairperson Nwabisa Makunga well, condemns arrests of journalists

The chairperson of the South African National Editors’ Forum (Sanef), Nwabisa Makunga, will step down to focus on her new job as the MD of news and media at Arena Holdings.

This was announced at the forum's meeting on Saturday. The organisation has wished her well and said it is of the view that her promotion “bodes well for the future of the media in this country. Not only is Nwabisa an advocate for media freedom, but she is also a champion for the sustainability of the media in South Africa”. 

“While Sanef is sad to see Nwabisa go, the organisation is comforted by the knowledge that Nwabisa will continue to be an ally, advancing the course of media sustainability and media freedom within the top management at Arena,” Sanef said.

Given the scope and nature of her new responsibility, Makunga said resigning from the editors’ forum was the right thing to do.

“I continue to support the work of Sanef and believe the organisation has capable leaders to take the baton and continue the work to deliver its mandate. While I look forward to the new adventure at Arena Holdings, it is bittersweet to leave Sanef, specially at a time when we are on the cusp of launching the Journalism Sustainability Fund, a pioneering project I have been privileged to lead,” she said.

She previously served as Sanef’s treasurer-general and deputy chairperson, where she proved to be dedicated and showed “exceptional leadership. She will officially hand over to a new chairperson, who will be elected at the Sanef council meeting in Cape Town in February 2025”, the forum said.

Meanwhile, Sanef condemned the detention of two South African journalists, Bongani Siziba and Sbonelo Mkhasibe from News Central TV, along with Mozambican journalist Charles Mangwiro. They were arrested while covering the Mozambique election outcome unrest.

“While Sanef acknowledges the eventual release of Siziba and Mkhasibe, we remain deeply concerned about the pattern of escalating attacks on journalists in Mozambique. The assault on Rádio e Televisão Encontro journalists César Rafael and Valdemiro Amisse in Nampula and the expulsion of two Portuguese journalists earlier this month under dubious pretences highlight a worrying trend.

“Such actions undermine the fundamental freedoms enshrined in the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights and the UN’s principles on the protection of journalists.

“We are further alarmed by the digital repression in Mozambique, including social media and mobile internet shutdowns. These measures not only restrict press freedom but disrupt the operations of online publications across the SADC region, stifling the flow of information vital for informed public discourse.”

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