South Africa

Zach de la Rocha sang it, now we've got it - Freedom...yeah right! Charles Lewis has penned a great Op-ed pieice in the M&G regarding the recent gagging of that newspaper and the repercussions thereof. Lewis is president of the Washington-based Fund for Independence in Journalism, and founder of the international watchdog organisation, the Centre for Public Integrity. His writing is a real eye-opener and reminds us how important Freedom of Speech is in a functioning democracy. Here's a great quote to take with you :

"In South Africa today, the official response to all of the recent ethical embarrassments is breathtaking in its non-responsiveness and defiant hostility. How can the new South Africa promote foreign investment and tourism, new business opportunities including the very important, laudable ideal of increased black economic empowerment, when there is increasing evidence of favouritism toward perceived “ANC companies”?