Introduction
For the first time in 30 years South Africa’s ruling party lost the majority in parliament, leading to a Government of National Unity (GNU) with Cyril Ramaphosa’s cabinet divided among 11 political parties, promising broad representation and higher levels of transparency. While some hailed the election outcome as a breakthrough ending the unfettered ruling party governance, others criticise the GNU for compromising the political ideologies of the ruling party in partnering with the white right-wing parties.
Association
Land rights activist killed over proposed mining project in KwaZulu-Natal
Sibusiso Hlongwane, a prominent land rights activist from Entembeni, KwaZulu-Natal, was assassinated on 14th July 2024, after he was fatally shot in what appears to be a targeted killing. Hlongwane had strongly opposed the Jindal Iron Ore Project, a large-scale mining initiative seeking to develop 26,000 hectares of communal land. The project threatens to displace traditional communities, commercial farms and land under claim, sparking intense debate within the community.
Community activist and whistle-blower shot dead
Simangaliso Zwane, a 34-year-old community activist, businessman and whistle-blower, was tragically shot on 25th July 2024 in Vryheid, an incident suspected to be linked to his efforts to expose local corruption. He had recently contacted the Department of Co-operative Governance & Traditional Affairs (CoGTA) regarding multiple alleged irregularities involving corruption, fraud and poor service delivery in local communities. These allegations prompted CoGTA to initiate preliminary investigations. Additional claims were detailed in a letter published in the Vryheid Herald on 31st May 2024.
Witnesses reported that six shots were fired at Zwane, with two missing and four striking him in the back. He was shot with a pistol and succumbed to his injuries at the scene. Police are currently investigating the case.
Peaceful Assembly
In May 2024, South Africa saw a significant rise in service delivery protests, particularly during the national and provincial elections from 26-29 May 2024. About half of the protests occurred in the Eastern Cape, as protesters used the election period to express frustrations over inadequate service delivery such as water, electricity and housing. Nearly 50% of these protests were election-related, with protestors trying to block voting, threatening Electoral Commission (IEC) officials, and damaging election materials. On 29th May 2024, police in the North West province fired rubber bullets at protesters in Taung who disrupted voting at polling stations. The protests reflected deep-rooted dissatisfaction with service delivery, particularly in poorer communities, and underscored the tension between citizens and the government during the election period.
Expression
SABC Editor-in-Chief called for security vetting and polygraph before South Africa election
On 18th April 2024, a senior official at the State Security Agency (SSA) telephoned Moshoeshoe Monare, SABC’s editor in chief and the public broadcaster’s Group Executive of News and Current Affairs, to inform him that he had to undergo top-level security vetting, including a polygraph test. This followed a leaked recording of President Cyril Ramaphosa telling the African National Congress’ election committee on 11th April 2024 that local media had “no right to be negative” towards the governing party and that its election campaign messages must dominate television and radio with media coverage of the ANC and insisting that the party's messages dominate media coverage.
Local media freedom organisations and the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) condemned the vetting request as intimidatory and a threat to press freedom.
This incident follows a history of alleged political interference at the SABC, including the firing of Monare's predecessor, Phathiswa Magopeni, for reported political reasons. The current context of declining public support for the ANC, highlighted by an Ipsos opinion poll indicating a significant drop from 2019, adds to the scrutiny of actions perceived as attempts to influence media coverage. This situation underscores the ongoing debate about balancing national security and press freedom, with calls for transparency to ensure journalistic independence is maintained.
Journalists attacked during political rally
On 18th May 2024 during a political rally, men in military fatigues protecting MK party leader Jacob Zuma aggressively confronted journalists trying to film and photograph Zuma's arrival in Soweto, south-west of the city of Johannesburg, according to a statement by the South African National Editors’ Forum (SANEF), an industry body, and an account by Amanda Khoza, who covers the presidency for the privately-owned digital news publication News24.
Zuma, the country’s former president who left office in 2018 following a series of corruption scandals and launched MK in 2023, was holding the rally to launch his new party’s manifesto ahead of the country’s 29th May elections. Khoza, who was among the journalists pushed, published videos showing the men’s aggressive actions. One video showed a man in military fatigues pushing a journalist holding a camera. Another journalist reported being sexually assaulted by one of the men, who grabbed her breasts before pushing her away. Other reporters witnessed the assault and saw the men kicking their colleagues.
Zuma himself is banned from running as a candidate in the election after a 20th May 2024 Constitutional Court ruling that a previous criminal conviction made him ineligible.
Journalist briefly detained, forced to delete photographs
On 25th April 2024, South African police arrested freelance journalist Sandiso Phaliso while he was photographing a crime scene in Cape Town. Phaliso, who works for the non-profit news agency GroundUp, was at the scene in Philippi after receiving a tip about an attempted robbery. Despite identifying himself as a journalist, a police officer told Phaliso to stop photographing and subsequently confiscated his phone and detained him for obstructing police work. Phaliso was held for about two hours at the Nyanga police station and released on the condition that he deleted all photographs of the crime scene.