Digital Immigrant

19 October 2009 is an exciting day in South Africa. It’s the day when fanboys and fangirls can pre-book their Kindle International. But that’s not what I want to write about today; 19 October 2009 is the 32nd anniversary of Black Wednesday, when the Apartheid government banned 18 organisations and 3 publications.

And I wonder why this is something I only discover today. I feel shame for not knowing it. And angry, too, that my school education had not included more information on the Black Consciousness Movement.

The events leading up to that day had been set into motion by the issue of the proposed Bantustans. Transkei had already been established in 1976 and the government wanted to establish Bophuthatswana as an independent state for the Tswanas. Many organisations opposed it and decided to write an open letter, signed by Cde Thandisizwe Mphiwa Mazibuko, the Secretary General of the Black People’s Convention, that was to be published in several newspapers.

The only editor who ran the open letter in its entirety was Tselito Percy Qoboza, the editor of The World; other newspapers commented on the open letter and ran excerpts from it.

This event was the tipping point — it led to the government banning The World, Weekend World, and Pro Veritate. The organisations they banned were the Black People’s Convention (BPC); South African Students’ Organisation (SASO); Black Community Programmes (BCP); Black Parents’ Association (BPA); Black Women’s Federation (BWF); National Association of Youth Organisations (NAYO) and all its provincial structures; Medupe Writers’ Association; South African Students Movement (SASM); Union of Black Journalists (UBJ); Soweto Teachers’ Action Committee (TAC); Zimele Trust Fund; Christian Institute (CI); the Association for the Educational and Cultural Advancement of African People (ASSECA); Soweto Students’ Representative Council (SSRC).

These organisations stayed banned until 1990, after Nelson Mandela had been released from jail. The World newspaper became The Post Transvaal, which the government closed in 1980. This led to the start of The Sowetan Mirror in 1981, which then changed the name to The Sowetan, one of the country’s largest dailies.

The government detained journalists such as Joe Thloloe, Peter Magubane;,Juby Mayet and Tselito Percy Qoboza; other were not as lucky: Mapetla Mohapi died in his police cell.

I believe there will always be – there must be – a tension between politicians and the media. A healthy tension, in which we keep a close eye on each other.

Mr T Sexwale, then Minister of the then PWV Province, on 19 October 1994.

Though there is still many things wrong with journalism in South Africa, there are also many things that are improvements upon the old regime: an opposition, a strong constitution and a belief in democratic ideals. Let’s use this opportunity to reflect on what we still need to do to create an even better media.

* Interesting read on the history of The Sowetan and the Mail & Guardian.

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