The Black Natives Forum says it will be reporting City Press and its editor Mondli Makhanya to the Human Rights Commission for publishing sexist and discriminatory articles against CoGTA Minister Nkosazana Dlamini Zuma.
This follows the newspaper’s recent article titled: “Yes. You are Zuma’s ex-wife” in which the newspaper continued to label Dlamini Zuma as former president Zuma’s ex wife.
The forum called on the South African National Editors Forum (Sanef) to act against sexist reporting by the South African media which it said had a history of reporting negatively about women and other subjects.
In a statement issued out on Monday, the forum said it condemned the acts of sexism and discrimination that had been displayed by Makhanya who also recently came under fire from the IFP following negative reports about its leader Prince Mangosuthu Buthelezi.
Last month the party staged a march against Makhanya and handed its memorandum of demands to the editor Timothy Molobi.
“The SA Natives Forum condemn in the strongest possible terms, the continuation of acts of sexism and discrimination of women by the media in our country. Whether explicit or implicit, intentional or inadvertent, the tragedies of generations of violent dehumanisation up to this day, including the discriminatory journalist, Mondli Makhanya against Dr Dlamini Zuma and Sanef’s silence and lack of condemnation on the issue as a principal of the media,” the forum’s Nkathale Dikobo said.
Dikobo said the media had a duty to report in an ethical and responsible manner, especially where women and children were involved as role players. He said it was the duty of the media to be professional at all times.
“The media as an influencer of the behaviours and values of future generations have the voice and power to influence, both positively and negatively. The journalists’ job is to educate and promote transformation and equality for all, not to promote discrimination and injustice. We see this as the beginning of a counter productive,” Dikobo said.
Dikobo said the forum had in the past observed this counter-productive behaviour from the media of this country which continued to ascribe the success of female leaders to their male partners and associations.
“We enthusiastically join many voices in and around the world and our colleagues in the condemnation of racism and discrimination and sexist nature portrayed by Mondli Makhanya and demand that all institutions including Sanef take further action to make it clear where they stand, on the fight against GBV and discrimination in their institutions.
“We call on the members of Sanef to better understand how they as the media and independent ombudsman can better contribute towards an equal and just society. Accomplishing this goal will require an unbiased commitment from Sanef. It does not matter who the person is, who they are married to or divorced from. No journalist is allowed to discriminate against any person no matter the race of the journalist, discrimination and sexism must not be tolerated,” Dikobo said.