Twenty years after the Windhoek Declaration on press freedom

Preface
By Esmaré Weideman
Esmaré Weideman is CEO of Media24,
and was previously editor-in-chief
of Media24’s flagship weekly news
magazines, Huisgenoot, You and
Drum.
Media24 not only deems it an
honour and an opportunity to
sponsor this important publication.
We see it as our duty.
We are part of <strong>the</strong> Naspers group,
Africa’s largest media company,
recently rated <strong>the</strong> 10th largest
global media enterprise.
Though successfully doing business
in more than 50 countries all over
<strong>the</strong> world, we are deeply rooted
in Africa. In 2015, four <strong>years</strong> from
now when <strong>the</strong> centenary of <strong>the</strong>
oldest newspaper in our group will
be celebrated, Naspers/Media24 will
have been in Africa for 100 <strong>years</strong>.
We intend being here for much
longer. Progress in Africa and <strong>the</strong>
role of <strong>the</strong> free media <strong>the</strong>rein is in
our DNA.
Media24 is indeed proud to
be associated with <strong>the</strong> 20th
celebration of <strong>the</strong> milestone event
that is <strong>the</strong> <strong>Windhoek</strong> <strong>Declaration</strong>.
The <strong>Declaration</strong> was originally
issued as a continental clarion call
for media freedom in Africa, but
has since grown into a lodestar for
media freedom all over <strong>the</strong> world.
We believe <strong>the</strong> <strong>Windhoek</strong> <strong>Declaration</strong>
and what it strived to achieve,
played a major role in <strong>the</strong> progress
that has been achieved in Africa
in <strong>the</strong> last 20 <strong>years</strong>. More African
countries today can be described as
constitutional democracies than two
decades ago when <strong>the</strong> <strong>Declaration</strong>
was adopted. The old adage that
democracies don’t go to war against
each o<strong>the</strong>r, has a media freedom
element that pertains particularly
to our continent: African countries
where <strong>the</strong> media is free, prosper and
develop.
Take <strong>the</strong> case of Mali, which is rated
by international agencies as being
<strong>the</strong> African country with <strong>the</strong> highest
degree of media freedom. Mali
became a democracy with a free
press one year <strong>after</strong> <strong>the</strong> adoption
of <strong>the</strong> <strong>Windhoek</strong> <strong>Declaration</strong>. Today,
it is considered a well-established
African democracy — in no small
measure because it has studiously
respected and maintained media
freedom.
Substantial progress in <strong>the</strong> field of
media freedom has been achieved
in Africa in <strong>the</strong> past 20 <strong>years</strong>.
Yet much remains to be done.
Less than five African countries
today appear in <strong>the</strong> “totally free”
category of global press freedom
indexes. More and more African
countries are descending into <strong>the</strong>
“partly free” category, interestingly
enough, among <strong>the</strong>m, South Africa
and Namibia. Unfortunately, <strong>the</strong>
“unfree” category is ra<strong>the</strong>r densely
populated by African countries.
So, we have our work cut out for us.
The energies of civil society, business,
media companies, trade unions, <strong>the</strong>
churches — and Africans from all
walks of life — need to be harnessed
into a continental effort to enhance
and protect <strong>the</strong> institution of <strong>the</strong>
free media in Africa.
Our progress as a continent demands
this from us.
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