The provisions of the Electoral Amendment Act, the new legal framework governing the 2024 national and provincial elections, were outlined to journalists and editors who attended a Mpumalanga media in elections training session at Graceland Hotel, Casino and Country Club in Secunda on November 24.
The Electoral Commission and the South African National Editors’ Forum (SANEF) hosted the day’s training.
Gugu Langa, the Mpumalanga provincial electoral officer, outlined the road to the 2024 elections and the provisions of the Electoral Amendment Act, which has paved the way for the participation of candidates not linked to a political party.
Langa said the president has not yet announced the election date, and voters can still register or check if they are still voting in the particular voting stations. She said the media play a vital role in disseminating information to the public.
The IEC said the training was crucial for the media reporting on the upcoming elections to outline the legislative framework, readiness for elections and social media disinformation. Hopewell Radebe from SANEF presented the electoral guidelines for print, broadcasting and digital media.
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He said they had been to provinces with the IEC, training journalists on the rules and regulations and helping them understand the impact of these changes in the elections and how they will impact their communities.
Radebe said they will also work with the police to identify hotspots and areas where there are tensions during the elections.
“As journalists, you have to be prepared differently and be alerted to what to expect in the coming elections,” said Radebe.
Radebe emphasised that journalists are guided by media laws and ethics when doing their work. He said everyone must get an equal opportunity or right of reply and informed reporting, transparency and accountability are expected from journalists.
“Disinformation spreads fast during the elections. Be careful of anonymous sources and press releases from the political parties during that time.
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“If you receive a press release that talks badly about a political party, don’t publish, broadcast, or put it on your social media platform without giving the party mentioned a right to reply.”
Nomshado Lubisi-Nkosinkulu from Media Monitoring Africa said their goal is to promote ethical and fair journalism that supports human rights and encourages a culture where media respect human rights while promoting democracy and the ideals of a just and fair society.
She said their organisation uses technology, social media, and data tools to conduct successful media strategies for change, making their work more efficient and impactful.
“Our vision is to develop a free, fair, ethical, and critical media culture in SA and across the African continent.
“To achieve this, we focus on three key areas through a human rights-based approach: media ethics, media quality, and media freedom,” said Lubisi-Nkosinkulu.
