scholarly journals Contested confines: political risk and the media in South Africa

2016 ◽  
Vol 14 (2) ◽  
pp. 143-154
Author(s):  
Mary-Anne Piasecki ◽  
Piet Croucamp
Keyword(s):  
South Africa ◽  
South African ◽  
News Media ◽  
Economic Downturn ◽  
Media Industry ◽  
The South ◽  
Economic Stability ◽  
Media Ownership ◽  
Additional Risk ◽  
The Media

The South African private news media industry represents a substantial portion of the overall media industry and the most successful in terms of profit acquired. It is critical however to assess the shareholders and private ownership of the news media industry in order to determine the likely success of investment in this industry. However, additional risk factors need to be considered along with the shareholders and ownership; macro factors such as, legislation and economic stability as well as micro factors such as the restructuring of ownership and transparency within the industry. It is also fundamental that the news media industry of South Africa is assessed through the lens of its historical landscape and transformation and its Fourth Estate responsibilities. Through this assessment it is possible to conclude three likely outcomes of investment in the news media industry. These outcomes are based on the measured growth and current stability of the industry and the South African economy. The most concerning risk for investment is the continued economic downturn of the South African economy and its effect on restructuring of media ownership and a declining profit. This can be coupled with the risk of legislative turnover and executive overreach within the news media industry

“Justice delayed is justice denied”

2015 ◽  
Vol 25 (3) ◽  
pp. 288-305 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mpho Ngoepe ◽  
Salmon Makhubela
Keyword(s):  
South Africa ◽  
South African ◽  
Justice System ◽  
Records Management ◽  
The South ◽  
Criminal Cases ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Record Keeping ◽  
The Media ◽  
African Media

Purpose – The purpose of this study is to investigate the cases of “delayed and denied” justice that resulted from a lack of or poor record-keeping in the South African courts and police service with a view to encouraging proper records management. Proper records management plays a significant role in supporting the justice system. Records provide the critical evidence that a particular action or transaction took place and can be used as evidence in a court of law. Without reliable and authentic records, government cannot administer justice and, as a result, offenders can be set free while the victims are denied justice. Design/methodology/approach – Utilising content analysis, this study extracted print media articles (2000-2012) relating to the “records and justice system” from the South African Media database, which is one of the databases hosted by the South African Bibliographic and Information Network. The study selected cases reported in the media to conduct follow-up interviews with a policeman, lawyer and judge to discover the implications of the unavailability of required records in court cases. Furthermore, access was given to three selected cases that were given high profile in the media and these cases were analysed to find out what the final verdict in each case was. Findings – Results of the study suggest that some criminal cases were withdrawn due to missing dockets or cases not properly registered. In some instances, records were reconstructed, resulting in the travesty of justice. The study concludes by arguing that if records are not accounted for, lawyers, prosecutors and magistrates could dispute the authenticity of records. As a result, justice for victims would be delayed and ultimately denied while the perpetrators are freed. Research limitations/implications – The findings and recommendations of this study may go a long way in helping courts in South Africa to manage records properly to support the justice system. Furthermore, the study is a useful compilation of the importance of missing records for social purposes. Originality/value – In an attempt to show the role of records management in the administration of justice in South Africa, this study used a triangulation of data collection tools. This is a new attempt, especially in the South African context. Previous studies in southern Africa only looked at the management of records in supporting justice system.

Problematising News Media Ownership Patterns in Kenya: Who Controls Media Industry in the Global South?

2020 ◽  
Vol 2 (1) ◽  
pp. 75-83
Author(s):  
Michael Otieno Otieno; Michael M. Ndonye
Keyword(s):  
News Media ◽  
Political Agenda ◽  
Media Industry ◽  
Market Place ◽  
Media Ownership ◽  
Political Class ◽  
The World ◽  
The Media ◽  
The Government ◽  
Ownership Patterns

The main aim of this paper is to investigate media ownership patterns and analyse the implications of such patterns in Kenya—while thinking globally. Notably, media industry has attracted politicians and business tycoons around the world. It is one of the most lucrative industries that come with a lot of power and influence. From the literature reviewed in this analysis, it is evident that very few studies have been done to critically look at the media ownership patterns in Kenya and the implications such ownership have in the media market place. The paper is aimed at answering three questions. 1) What has been the media ownership pattern in Kenya since independence? 2) What does media ownership patterns mean to the Kenyan Media industry? 3) How does this pattern in Kenya compare to the rest of the world? Analysis from this research seems to demonstrate that most media outlets in Kenya are either politically owned or have some political agenda attached to them. As a result of such pattern, the Kenyan media experience narrow content and lack of alternative viewpoint of news and information disseminated to the public. Secondly, there is lack of balance since the main aim of the media is to advance political agenda as opposed to being the fourth estate—that watchdogs the government on behalf of the society. The findings also indicate that there are similarities in media ownership in Kenya and those around the world. When the political class owns the media, its normative roles are compromised, the editorial independence is skewed, and the media loses its impact as a cultural institution. The recommendation is that only community media can undo the pattern that is being established by politically owned media industry.

Shooting the East/Veils and Masks: Uncovering Orientalism in South African Media

2002 ◽  
Vol 1 (4) ◽  
pp. 367-384
Author(s):  
GABEBA BADEROON
Keyword(s):  
South Africa ◽  
South African ◽  
Cape Town ◽  
Edward Said ◽  
The South ◽  
The Media ◽  
African Media ◽  
The Right ◽  
Newspaper Articles

ABSTRACT In this essay the author analyzes a series of South African newspaper articles on a Cape Town-based group called Pagad (People against Gangsterism and Drugs). The essay draws upon a larger study of the images of Islam in the South African media and reveals that both the Pagad and the media make use of regressive discourses about Islam. The author finds traces in the media of what Edward Said has referred to as Orientalism. Through the Pagad stories, Muslims in South Africa are treated by the media with an extremely constricted vocabulary which gives little of the suppleness needed to distinguish between Muslims, and the violence enacted in the name of Islam. The answer to the problem of stereotypical and racist representations in the media lies for Baderoon in people reading critically, insisting on complexity, claiming the right to ethical journalistic practices, establishing media with varied ownership, providing alternative visions, and inserting repressed histories into the media.

The Right to Freedom of Expression, Press and Culture in South Africa: A Survey of Recent Developments

2013 ◽  
Vol 2 (1) ◽  
pp. 170-185
Author(s):  
Lufuno Nevondwe ◽  
Motlhatlego Matotoka
Keyword(s):  
South Africa ◽  
South African ◽  
Freedom Of Expression ◽  
Media Industry ◽  
Constitutional Rights ◽  
Recent Developments ◽  
The Media ◽  
Constitutional Right ◽  
The Right

This article reflects on the recent case and determination in Goodman Gallery v Film and Publication Board and Print Media South Africa v Minister of Home Affairs and Another which set important precedents in the media industry. These determinations also show the consistency of the South African Courts and tribunals in ensuring that the right to human dignity, the achievement of equality, and the advancement of human rights and freedoms which are among the founding values of the Constitution are afforded adequate protection. These constitutional rights are often in conflict with each other. The article determines whether one constitutional right supersedes the other. It also comments briefly on the role of the media in South Africa and its challenges under democracy. The article further considers the statutory mandate of the Films and Publication Board and provides a critique of the decision in Goodman Gallery.

scholarly journals The Media Appeals Tribunal and the Protection of Information Bill as challenges to freedom of expression and good governance in South Africa

Afrika Focus ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 30 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Marie Kristie Tania Thomas
Keyword(s):  
South Africa ◽  
Key Words ◽  
South African ◽  
Good Governance ◽  
Freedom Of Expression ◽  
The South ◽  
Modus Operandi ◽  
The Media ◽  
South African Constitution

This paper examines the Media Appeals Tribunal (MAT) and the Protection of Information Bill (PIB) as potential challenges to freedom of expression and good governance in South Africa. The modus operandi and the objectives of MAT and PIB are presented and examined to indicate whether these may act as threats to freedom of expression and good governance. This paper uses information obtained from academic articles, the South African Constitution, legislative documents, news articles as well as African and international reports. This research finds that if MAT and PIB are passed as laws without substantial amendments in favour of the genuine respect for freedom of media and press, they will potentially lead to the regression of both freedom of expression and good governance and above all, threaten democracy in South Africa. Key words: Media Appeals Tribunal, Protection of Information Bill, freedom of expression, good governance, democracy, South Africa 

scholarly journals Ideology and Subtitling: South African Soap Operas

2013 ◽  
Vol 57 (2) ◽  
pp. 496-509 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jan-Louis Kruger
Keyword(s):  
South Africa ◽  
Language Policy ◽  
South African ◽  
Soap Operas ◽  
The South ◽  
The Media ◽  
Audiovisual Translation ◽  
Language And Ideology ◽  
Point Of Departure

This article investigates the ideological component of patronage in the subtitling of four South African soap operas: Generations, 7de Laan, Muvhango, and Isidingo. Taking the concepts introduced by Lefevere as point of departure, the article first discusses the various ways in which audiovisual translation (AVT) is subject to manipulation. This manipulation is shown to be a result of the fact that subtitles, as text superimposed onto the image during post-editing, thereby obscuring a small part of the screen, constantly foregrounds itself to the audience. This foregrounding is also affected by the linguistic background of the audience – whether or not they understand the original dialogue. The argument then turns to a discussion of AVT, and specifically subtitling, as rewriting. The link between language and ideology is discussed as it pertains to issues of power, particularly related to the role of English in the media, also in South Africa, where, in Gottlieb’s terminology, South Africa can be described as a multilingual anglophile context. The language policy of the South African Broadcasting Corporation is then discussed in terms of patronage and ideology followed by a discussion of the role of ideology in these four locally-produced soap operas. In this discussion the different ways in which the subtitling practices of the soap operas reflect ideology are investigated. The article concludes that accessibility plays a smaller role in subtitling in South Africa than the ideology of multilingualism and multiculturalism.

Foreigners' Rights to Work and Fair Labour Practices in South Africa: A Review of the South African Labour Legislation and Jurisprudence

2020 ◽  
Vol 35 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Andre Mangu
Keyword(s):  
South Africa ◽  
Human Rights ◽  
South African ◽  
Bill Of Rights ◽  
The South ◽  
Legislation And Jurisprudence ◽  
Foreign Nationals ◽  
Lay Persons ◽  
Democratic State ◽  
Labour Legislation

After several decades of apartheid rule, which denied human rights to the majority of the population on the ground of race and came to be regarded as a crime against humanity, South Africa adopted its first democratic Constitution in the early 1990s. The 1996 Constitution, which succeeded the 1993 interim Constitution, is considered one of the most progressive in the world. In its founding provisions, it states that South Africa is a democratic state founded on human dignity, the achievement of equality, the advancement of human rights and freedoms. The Constitution enshrines fundamental human rights in a justiciable Bill of Rights as a cornerstone of democracy. Unfortunately, in the eyes of a number of politicians, officials and lay-persons, the rights in the Bill of Rights accrue to South African citizens only. Xenophobia, which has been rampant since the end of apartheid, seems to support the idea that foreigners should not enjoy these rights. Foreign nationals have often been accused of posing a threat to South African citizens with regard to employment opportunities. In light of the South African legislation and jurisprudence, this article affirms the position of the South African labour law that foreign nationals are indeed protected by the Constitution and entitled to rights in the Bill of Rights, including the rights to work and fair labour practices.

The Engagement of Beneficiaries in Farm Governance of Restituted Land through the Communal Property Association Model: The Ideal Versus the Reality of Beneficiary Farms in South Africa

2019 ◽  
Vol 16 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Mokoko Piet Sebola ◽  
Malemela Angelinah Mamabolo
Keyword(s):  
South Africa ◽  
South African ◽  
Land Reform ◽  
Farm Management ◽  
The South ◽  
African Government ◽  
Communal Property ◽  
Farm Ownership ◽  
Land Restitution ◽  
Communal Property Associations

The purpose of this article is to evaluate the engagement of farm beneficiaries in South Africa in the governance of restituted farms through communal property associations. The South African government has already spent millions of rands on land restitution to correct the imbalance of the past with regard to farm ownership by the African communities. Various methods of farm management to benefit the African society have been proposed, however, with little recorded success. This article argues that the South African post-apartheid government was so overwhelmed by political victory in 1994 that they introduced ambitious land reform policies that were based on ideal thinking rather than on a pragmatic approach to the South African situation. We used qualitative research methods to argue that the engagement of farm beneficiaries in farm management and governance through communal property associations is failing dismally. We conclude that a revisit of the communal property associations model is required in order to strengthen the position of beneficiaries and promote access to land by African communities for future benefit.

Exploring the South African Government Communication on Land Expropriation without Compensation

2020 ◽  
Vol 72 (1-3) ◽  
Author(s):  
Lungisani Moyo
Keyword(s):  
South Africa ◽  
Food Security ◽  
South African ◽  
Small Scale ◽  
South African Government ◽  
Eastern Cape ◽  
The South ◽  
Land Expropriation ◽  
African Government ◽  
Government Communication

ABSTRACT This paper used qualitative methodology to explore the South African government communication and land expropriation without compensation and its effects on food security using Alice town located in the Eastern Cape Province South Africa as its case study. This was done to allow the participants to give their perceptions on the role of government communication on land expropriation without compensation and its effects on South African food security. In this paper, a total population of 30 comprising of 26 small scale farmers in rural Alice and 4 employees from the Department of Agriculture (Alice), Eastern Cape, South Africa were interviewed to get their perception and views on government communications and land expropriation without compensation and its effects on South African food security. The findings of this paper revealed that the agricultural sector plays a vital role in the South African economy hence there is a great need to speed up transformation in the sector.

Book review: Jansen, J. 2017. As by Fire: The End of the South African University. Cape Town: Tafelberg.

2017 ◽  
Vol 1 (1) ◽  
pp. 117
Author(s):  
Jared McDonald
Keyword(s):  
South Africa ◽  
South African ◽  
Teaching And Learning ◽  
Cape Town ◽  
The South ◽  
Scholarship Of Teaching ◽  
Creative Commons ◽  
Vice Chancellor ◽  
The University

Dr Jared McDonald, of the Department of History at the University of the Free State (UFS) in South Africa, reviews As by fire: the end of the South African university, written by former UFS vice-chancellor Jonathan Jansen.    How to cite this book review: MCDONALD, Jared. Book review: Jansen, J. 2017. As by Fire: The End of the South African University. Cape Town: Tafelberg.. Scholarship of Teaching and Learning in the South, [S.l.], v. 1, n. 1, p. 117-119, Sep. 2017. Available at: <http://sotl-south-journal.net/?journal=sotls&page=article&op=view&path%5B%5D=18>. Date accessed: 12 Sep. 2017.   This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.To view a copy of this license, visit http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

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