Pro-opposition newspaper suspended

The National Press Commission (CNP), the print media regulatory body has suspended Notre Voie, a privately-owned pro-opposition daily newspaper for four publications. The suspension took effect from 19 May 2012. 23 May 2012 10:57

West Africa Cable System officially launched

West Africa Cable System (WACS), the fibre optic cable set to meet demand for fast, efficient broadband in Africa, which links Southern and Western Africa to Europe, commercially launched today in Cape Town, South Africa. 11 May 2012 11:48

Police detains boss of pro-Gbagbo media group

Ousmane Sy Savané, director general of Cylcone, a pro-Gbagbo publishing company, was reportedly picked up by police personnel drawn from the Directorate for Territorial Surveillance (DST) in Abidjan, the commercial capital of Cote d'Ivoire, on March 27, 2012. 30 Mar 2012 10:07

MTN launches 3G services in Cote d'Ivoire, Benin

MTN subscribers in Cote d'Ivoire and Benin will soon take off at full throttle as 3G licences were awarded to MTN in both countries recently. 26 Mar 2012 12:25

MTN boosts African Opera Mini users

A special version of the Opera Mini mobile web browser, launched by MTN and Opera Software last year to MTN's subscribers, has been met with great enthusiasm by MTN customers across the 15 markets where it's available. In just twelve months, MTN subscribers have increased their use of Opera Mini by 1665%. 27 Feb 2012 13:52

African people disillusioned with leadership - Moeletsi Mbeki

[Issa Sikiti da Silva: @sikitimedia] "African people - like me - are completely disillusioned with the performance of their leaders because of what they have done and what they are doing, and for me these people should not be called leaders, but rather the elite," Moeletsi Mbeki, brother of former South African president Thabo Mbeki and chairman of the SA Institute of International Affairs, said, speaking at the CNN-MultiChoice media forum currently taking place in Bryanston, Johannesburg, on Friday, 24 June 2011. 24 Jun 2011 11:56

Press freedom celebrations tempered with concerns

Yesterday, Tuesday, 3 May 2011, was the 20th anniversary of World Press Freedom Day, begun in Namibia as the Declaration of Windhoek, a statement of principles calling for a free, independent and pluralistic media throughout the world. Celebrations around the world were tempered with concerns about the erosion of press freedom and in South Africa, SANEF called on Government to review its proposed legislations that has seen SA downgrade from 'free press' to 'partly free'. 4 May 2011 09:13

Decline in press freedom experienced in key countries - report

WASHINGTON: The number of people worldwide with access to free and independent media declined to its lowest level in over a decade, according a Freedom House study released yesterday, 2 May 2011. The report, Freedom of the Press 2011: A global survey of media independence, found that a number of key countries experienced significant declines, producing a global landscape in which only one in six people live in countries with a press that is designated Free. 3 May 2011 14:00

Concern mounts over missing SA journo as govt scrambles to assist

[Issa Sikiti da Silva] As concern mounts over the fate of Anton Hammerl, a South African photographer missing in Libya alongside two US journalists and one Spanish photographer, the Presidency said yesterday, Wednesday, 20 April 2011, that President Jacob Zuma has been briefed on the attempts made by the SA mission in Libya to locate Hammerl. Reports from Washington DC also suggest that the White House is very concerned about their well-being and it is trying hard to assist them in any way it can. 21 Apr 2011 11:10

Intelsat wins new contracts

LUXEMBOURG: Intelsat SA, one of the world's leading providers of fixed satellite services, recently announced a series of new contracts with media customers using the company's leading video neighbourhoods. 14 Apr 2011 10:56

WAN-IFRA appoints new president, has conference upholding print

Jacob Mathew was elected on Friday, 8 April 2011, as the president of the World Association of Newspapers and News Publishers (WAN-IFRA) by its general assembly of members, held during the its board meeting in Dublin, Ireland and on 6-7 April the association's Printing Summit in Mainz, Germany, reaffirmed print's vital role today and in the future. 11 Apr 2011 09:45

Cote d'Ivoire newspaper suspended, journalists threatened

The Laurent Gbagbo-controlled National Press Council (CNP) on 18 March 2011 suspended the pro-Ouattara daily Le Jour Plus, for publishing statements by top officials of the government of Alassane Ouattara, the internationally recognised president of Côte d' Ivoire. The Media Foundation for West Africa (MFWA)'s correspondent reported that Le Jour Plus has been banned from publishing for 26 days. 24 Mar 2011 13:41

African politicians ban media to avoid criticism - Henry Maina

[Issa Sikiti da Silva] The fundamental reason that many African governments ban and harass the media has more to do with personal connotations than other issues, Kenya's Henry Maina, director of Article 19 Eastern Africa, told delegates at the two-day Regulations and Rights media conference last week in Johannesburg. 16 Mar 2011 10:22

Dario Milo and media law: is legal sky a limit for journalists?

[Issa Sikiti da Silva] There is some substantiated regulation of what the media can do and what it cannot do, but the balance must be struck between what the law has prescribed and freedom of expression, Prof Dario Milo, Wits University media law visiting professor and Webber & Wentzel partner, said last week in Johannesburg at the two-day Regulations and Rights media conference. 15 Mar 2011 14:01