In terms of the constitution of the country, freedom of the press is a right and, in commemo-ration of the greater freedom they once enjoyed, the South African Media marked October 19 as the country's national media freedom day.

On October 19, 1977, the most influential publication for black readers, The World, which first appeared as Bantu World, was banned. After its banning, the newspaper reopened as the Sunday newspaper Post, but as it became the Sunday edition of the daily Golden City Post, they were both banned in the early eighties, only to reopen as the Sowetan.

When asked about the importance of media freedom day, Sunday Sun’s Polokwane Bureau Chief, Robert Ndivhuwo Musetha, said it is crucial since journalists in the country are now working in a good environment, better than other journalists in certain countries. “We have achieved a lot, but we are still faced with a challenge of unjustified criticism.” Musetha said that the press was not yet free from intervention from certain politicians and individuals who are still struggling to understand the central role of the media. He said that intervention normally comes from officials at municipal level and he does not believe that they are doing that as an instruction from the government since he does not remember the government’s declaring censorship on the media.

“We have learnt that interference not directly linked to their institutions comes from certain individuals abusing their senior positions,” he said. Asked if absolute freedom of the press exists in the country, Musetha said that, because of the role of the media of informing the public about realities in their communities, he said that, whoever is in the driver’s seat wants to shape the media his/her way. “Freedom of the press does not exist in any state in the world; what we find is levels of freedom, with balances and counterbalances,” he claimed.

Musetha said that section 205 of the Criminal Procedures Act is not favourable to journalists, since it can be used to force newsmen to disclose their sources or crime information in a court of law. According to him, the anti-media law is playing a role in degrading the standard of journalism in the country. He said that, since the first democratic government came to power, the media are doing their work of informing the public without being prevented. Musetha described the acceptance of bribes and freebies by journalists as most dangerous. “If journalists can be corrupt, there will be no rule of law. Community members who regards us as their voice will be disappointed,” he said. He added that it was the responsibility of every journalist in the country to report the truth objectively as another way of increasing freedom of the press.