Special Hearings — Media Hearings — UNKNOWN

CHAIRPERSON: Well, thank you very much for having shared that with us.  You were detained for 83 days.  You were never charged, you were just released eventually?

MIKE LOEWE: Yes.

CHAIRPERSON: And there was no real substance, there was nothing really of substance that the police could possibly have been interested in but for the fact that you were involved as a journalist, I should imagine?

MIKE LOEWE: Well, it became clear to me that no matter what my essentially miserable contribution to the political side of my life in PE was, that was irrelevant really to them, it was the journalism I think at the end of the day.	I just want to say one thing as well about the media.  There was Times Media country down there, well one of the Editors of the Herald, Kosie Viviers, I think fought a fairly brave struggle.	He would go to court with his journalists and every now and then would have a strategic loss, I think.  I was a man under a lot of pressure, but he was dedicated to getting the story out.  Neville (indistinct) was, as far as I was concerned, abandoned his journalists, and abandoned his principles as an Editor.	And to this day, the man is still in that chair.  I hope he does not lose his contract as a result of this, but I still feel that those people should somewhere account for what was going on in those days.  He has never spoken to me.  He deals with me, in fact he still complains the other day, he complained about a black journalist that had been trained by an organisation very close to us, the Development Media Agency, which Lolyon mentioned, complained that this guy had had no training.	My sense there is that nothing has changed.  If anything should come out of this submission, it should be an impetus for a change within the media.  The kind of things that we are saying, change has to take place in the newsroom, they can't just take place at the top.  This is something that I hope will happen.  	The Independent Group are very different.  And also, I just want to say one thing, in the Eastern Cape, well even Post might be bad, while the Herald might, I only had R10 000-00 the year for affirmative action, the Daily Despatch is different.	It does try, it gives a lot of attention to the question of affirmative action, of changing the paper from within.

CHAIRPERSON: Thank you very much.  We do have the submission that you have made as well, and thank you for raising all of these things.	And sharing your experience with us and with your colleagues.  Thank you and go well.

MIKE LOEWE: Thank you.

CHAIRPERSON: Just before we proceed, I could perhaps just announce that the last two witnesses on the list, Thami Mazwai and Don Mattera will not be heard this afternoon.  They will be part of the programme tomorrow.  So we will then for the rest of the day, listen to the testimony of Mr Kotze and the "South and Grassroots" representatives.
INDIVIDUAL EXPERIENCE

CHAIRPERSON: Can I call Mr Kotze at this stage please.  Mr Kotze, good afternoon.

CRAIG KOTZE: Good afternoon to you Sir.

CHAIRPERSON: And welcome.

CRAIG KOTZE: Thank you.

CRAIG KOTZE: Thank you for your patience and your preparedness to assist Mr Loewe to get away a bit earlier.

CRAIG KOTZE: You are most welcome.

CHAIRPERSON: And good afternoon, welcome to your legal team.  I am going to administer the oath to you.

CRAIG KOTZE: (sworn states)

CHAIRPERSON: Thank you, you may be seated.

MS MKHIZE: Good afternoon, I would also like to welcome you once more.  We are in a difficult position.  Since we didn't get your last submission prior to this.  I would like you in presenting what is in your submission, briefly, especially highlighting those areas which you think are important and so as to give us time to ask you questions.