‘Zuma Defence League’ support for Hlaudi an insult to young South Africans

4 July 2016

The ANCYL’s statement in support of SABC censorship and Hlaudi Motsoeneng’s dictatorial reign over the public broadcaster proves yet again that the ANC doesn’t care about media freedom.

Their ‘Hands off Hlaudi’ statement, one of many issued in defence of Jacob Zuma and his pals, is a blatant attack on the freedoms that young South Africans fought and died for during our country’s struggle against Apartheid. 

It is equally a slap in the face of our country’s young people, who want to live in a democracy, underpinned by the constitutional principles of equality, freedom and dignity. 

It is clear that ‘Zuma’s Defence League’ is more guided by dictatorships like North Korea, than on the principles that our precious democracy was built on.

Of course, one would expect Gwede Mantashe and other senior ANC leaders to speak out against this attack on media freedom. But they will not. 

The truth is that the ANC is behind this attack. It is the ANC that put Hlaudi in his position, and it is the ANC that defended him on Black Friday, when journalists protested against censorship. It is the ANC that ultimately wants to keep him as the head of the SABC. 

Indeed, we suspect that the ANC has used its youth league to launch this attack because it is too scared to do so itself. South Africans shouldn’t be fooled by this smokescreen. 

The DA is committed to fighting media censorship. It not only violates our Constitution, but stands against the very principles our democracy was founded on in 1994. We will continue to do everything possible to defend our Constitution, and to ensure we build One Nation, with One Future, based on our principles of Freedom, Fairness and Opportunity for all. 

Issued by Yusuf Cassim, DASO Leader, 4 July 2016