President Ramaphosa salutes South African media industry

Cape Town, South Africa (PANA) – President Cyril Ramaphosa on Monday saluted South Africa’s media industry, saying it had played a pivotal role in exposing government corruption.

In a statement marking World Press Freedom Day, Ramaphosa noted that the media had exposed "much of what we know today about the true extent of capture of the state by self-serving, corrupt individuals and entities".

"They sustained their reporting even in the face of intimidation, disinformation and attacks on their person," he said.

The statement is in line with his comments at the State Capture Inquiry last week where he commended the role the media played in bringing graft issues to light.

World Press Freedom Day was proclaimed by the UN General Assembly in 1993, following the adoption of a recommendation at the 26th session of UNESCO's general conference in 1991.

-0- PANA CU/MA 3May2021