Special Hearings — Media Hearings — UNKNOWN

RASHID SERIA: Thank you.  Thank you for affording us this opportunity to make this presentation.  Our presentation will cover the alternative media in the Western Cape, Southern Cape and other outlying areas for the period from 1979 to 1993 and includes publications like Grassroots and "Saamstaan", which were published on a monthly basis and South which was published on a weekly basis.	This presentation was put together at very short notice and I think we are merely going to skim the surface here and we would welcome an opportunity to make a much more comprehensive presentation, within the next month, which we believe may be possible.	We believe it is very important to record and catalogue the contributions and achievements of the alternative media in the Cape and to examine how these alternative models can assist in improving the flow of information from marginalised communities which is a problem we believe has by no means been exhausted.	We represent the numerous journalists and political activists, who at very great risk an no personal gain, worked very hard to publish "Grassroots" "Saamstaan" and "South" and we would like today to dedicate this presentation to all these comrades.	The 1976 student insurrection was followed by a period of the most severe State repression which endured for a couple of years.  Slowly the oppressed recovered and renewed resistance to Apartheid began to evolve once again.	Alternative media was one of the expressions of this resurgence of activism as the 1970's drew to a close.    The control and shaping of the hearts and minds of people constituted a key priority in the National Party government's grand plan of Apartheid.	Media laws and restrictions were designed by the Apartheid State to allow a one-sided picture of South Africa to emerge.  The main stream newspapers opted for survival and profit and developed and perfected its own self-censorship code through its newspaper press union.	The alternative media on the other hand, refused to compromise on telling the true story.  And many black journalists and political activists were prepared to take risks which were greater than commercial consideration and the risk we are speaking about is that of placing their lives on the line.	Thus it was in the 1980's that black journalists and community activists in the Western Cape took the first tentative steps towards creating a new media to cover news from the townships and rural areas.	Communities which bore the brunt of Apartheid repression, to cover news which was to a large extent ignored by the main stream media.  These publications, here we are talking about "Grassroots" and "Grassroots" comprise of Grassroots community newspaper, New Era and Learning Routes and "Saamstaan" and "South", were the catalysts for a proliferation of other alternative publications from within the trade union movement and the ranks of student, women's and sporting sectors.	"Grassroots" had its genesis in the Media Workers Association of South Africa and the Union of Black Journalists with their long involvement in media freedom issues.  The first alternative newspaper of the 1970's was a publication entitled the Bulletin, produced by the UBJ and which attempted to reflect an alternative perspective of the Soweto uprisings of 1976.	"Grassroots" and other publications spawned by it were distributed throughout the Southern Cape, Western Cape, Northern Cape and Karoo.  These publications were successful not only in delivering news, but also in organising communities in opposition to Apartheid and assisting in the establishment of community organisations.	There are four main areas that we would like to cover in this submission.  Firstly the factors leading to the formation of the alternative media.  Secondly the State's response and then the response of business including the main stream media and lastly the impact of alternative media on the liberation struggle.	And we are going to do this in point form, because of the time constraints.  Firstly the factors leading to the formation of the alternative media.  The filling of the void left by the virtual absence of news from townships and rural areas in the main stream media, countering the depiction of the liberation struggle as a terrorist communist inspired insurrection, giving communities a forum in which to make their voices heard, share their experiences of struggle and express their political and social aspirations and contributing to popular mobilisation and the building of popular organisations. 		The State's response to our publications was completely out of proportion to the activities of media workers on these publications.  Two of our journalists were shot and we have some pictures here which we would like to show at some point.  The premises of "Grassroots" in Central Cape Town was destroyed in an arson attack, we have a picture of that also.  Our people were banned and detained and those who were detained, were tortured and abused.	The families were intimidated and harassed.  The Publications Control Board banned countless editions.  Our publications themselves, like "South" was banned in terms of the state of emergency in 1987.  It was a campaign of constant harassment and intimidation.  And a very good example that we could give also is how the Army utilised its printing facilities at its Head Quarters at the Castle in Cape Town.  All our publications were taken, our masthead was used, the format of our publication was used and all the contents were changed to reproduce stories about all the good things that were happening in the country and all the pro-Apartheid propaganda.	The third point, the response of business, including the main stream media.  The alternative media relied solely on the support of foreign funding agencies and community based business people.  It had no support from corporates in terms of advertising because the alternative media did not own their own printing presses and distribution networks, they were largely at the mercy of the main stream media companies.	Most of the printing and distribution was done by the Argus company and Allied distributors.  While helpful in formal and furtive, relationships existed with main stream journalists, their bosses were generally hostile to the alternative media.	And here we can give a few examples also of the response of the newspaper companies.  One of the final editions of "South" before its banning, we attempted to publish a poster of Holishashla Mandela.  This happened at a time when the ANC flags and slogans, flags were being raised and songs were being sung about the ANC, all over the country or rather in many parts of the country and it was during that atmosphere that we tried to publish this very beautiful poster of Mandela.	And the Argus refused to print that copy of the newspaper.  And then on the day that the paper was banned "South", "South" was banned by the Minister of Home Affairs, Stoffel Botha, in terms of the emergency regulations, 20 000 copies of our newspaper were waiting to be distributed because we didn't expect the banning to happen on that day, we thought it would be happening on the next two or three days.  And those copies had to be withdrawn, Allied publishing and the Argus company refused to distribute that.  	In conclusion, if you look at our front pages throughout the entire period, the primarily dealt with human rights abuses committed by the Apartheid regime.	It is therefore our submission that the State's action against our publication could be considered a human rights violation in itself.  	Mr Chairperson and fellow Commissioners, we also have made a submission under those different categories of quotations from various people involved in the alternative media.  And Moegsien is just going to highlight some of them with your permission.

MR LEWIN: Please continue, yes.