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Amnesty International has said persistent attacks against journalists and media owners are threatening press freedom and the growth of independent media across South Africa, Botswana, Zimbabwe, Zambia, Angola and other Southern African countries. The human rights organisation said today, ahead of the World Press Freedom Day – to be marked on Wednesday, May 3 – that journalism is not a crime and media professionals should be given a safe space in which to do their work.

“From Angola to Zambia, we have seen disturbingly brazen attacks on press freedom which have a chilling effect on those working in the media,” said Deprose Muchena, Amnesty International’s Regional Director for Southern Africa. “Across the region, journalists have been targeted simply for exposing the truth.”

In South Africa, eight journalists at the South African Broadcasting Corporation (SABC) were summarily dismissed for questioning editorial interference by the broadcaster’s executives in July 2016. Seven of them were later re-instated to their positions after challenging their sacking through their lawyers. According to Amnesty, some of the journalists have since received threatening messages through their mobile phones for standing up for editorial integrity.

The owner of the Zambian independent newspaper, The Post, Fred M’membe, his wife Mutinta M’membe and the newspaper’s Deputy Managing Editor, Joseph Mwenda, were arrested on 28 June, 2016 and held at the Lusaka Central Police Station without any charges. During their detention, they were reportedly beaten by the police.

In Lesotho, Lesotho Times Editor Lloyd Mutungamiri narrowly survived a shooting after being attacked by unknown gunmen on 9 July, 2016. He has since abandoned his job and left the country. In Botswana, journalists continue to face harassment and intimidation for carrying out investigative and critical journalism. Amnesty said the government of Zimbabwe continues to stifle critical reporting in the privately-owned media.

“This cynical onslaught is weakening independent journalism and rolling back the hard-won media freedom fought for since colonial times," said Muchena.

May 3 was declared World Press Freedom Day by the United Nations General Assembly as a day to celebrate the fundamental principles of press freedom; evaluate press freedom around the world; and to defend the media from attacks on their independence. It is also a day to pay tribute to journalists who have lost their lives in the exercise of their profession.

Amnesty International has called on the authorities across Southern Africa to urgently reverse the attacks that are closing the media space in the region.