DA challenges Muthambi to denounce Chinese media laws

26 July 2015

Now that Communications Minister Faith Muthambi’s five-day visit to China is drawing to a close, we challenge her to publicly denounce China’s repressive media laws.

If she does not, the South African public will assume that she supports the media policies of a country ranked 176 out of 180 on the World Press Freedom Index.

During a parliamentary oversight visit to the SABC by Parliament’s Communications portfolio committee earlier this week, it emerged that Minister Muthambi was leading a delegation to China. Minister Muthambi’s office has since described the trip as “a good opportunity to learn more about China and its development in broadcast and the broader TV industry.”

Going to China to learn about media is like going to Sudan to learn about human rights, or Greece to learn about macro-economic policy. As case studies, they are instructive only because they remind us what NOT to do.

We hope that Minister Muthambi used the opportunity of her visit to question Chinese Ministers and officials on the following:

The 44 journalists currently languishing in Chinese prisons, the highest number of jailed journalists anywhere in the world.

The licensing of journalists and state imposed restrictions on what journalists can and cannot report.

Why there is a state broadcaster that answers to the governing party, instead of an independent public broadcaster that answers to the people.

Why the state uses shuts down websites and social media platforms such as Twitter, Facebook, You Tube and Wikipedia using blocking technology dubbed “The Great Firewall of China”.

The state’s monitoring of individual Internet usage.

We call on Minister Muthambi to publicly denounce China’s sophisticated and repressive system of state propaganda and censorship, and to reassure South Africans that their freedom to impart and receive information remains sacrosanct.

Statement issued by Gavin Davis MP, DA Shadow Minister of Communications, July 26 2015