Country
South Africa
Government actions against journalists in South Africa
RSF 2026 rank: 21st of 180. World Press Freedom Index of Reporters Without Borders (RSF); rank 1 is the freest.
The number of entries reflects the depth of this record, not the severity of a country's conduct.
South Africa is in Southern Africa, Africa. The record holds 3 incidents in which the government of South Africa, or an official, court or legislature there, limited journalists' ability to report.
Tactics used
- Detention and violence: 2 incidents · ladder
- Licensing and closure of outlets: 2 incidents · ladder
- Access bans: 1 incident · ladder
- Prior restraint: 1 incident · ladder
- Shutdowns and blocking: 1 incident · ladder
Heads of government at the time
Incidents by year
1985
| Date | Incident | Tactic | Stage | Head of government | Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2 November 1985 | South Africa bans television and photographic coverage of unrest under a state of emergency | Shutdowns and blocking | Silence | P. W. Botha | Reversed (1 June 1990) |
1977
| Date | Incident | Tactic | Stage | Head of government | Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 19 October 1977 | South Africa bans The World and Weekend World newspapers and detains editor Percy Qoboza | Licensing and closure of outlets | Silence | Balthazar Johannes Vorster | Sustained (1 March 1978) |
1950
| Date | Incident | Tactic | Stage | Head of government | Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 17 July 1950 | South Africa's Suppression of Communism Act lets the government ban publications and restrict individuals | Prior restraint | Silence | Daniel François Malan | Reversed (31 July 1991) |
Ladders: where each tactic has led · Timeline for South Africa · Africa