The day apartheid silenced Percy Qoboza's press, and why it still matters

For Percy Qoboza, editor of The World, 19 October 1977 was the day the presses stopped. The apartheid regime banned his newspaper and Weekend World that day, and detained him alongside other journalists, in a deliberate attempt to silence independent voices that had been exposing the injustices and brutality of the system.

Decades later, as South Africa marks Black Wednesday, also known as National Press Freedom Day, government has paid tribute to the journalists, editors, publishers and media workers who stood firmly against apartheid.

“Their courage and unwavering commitment to truth contributed to the struggle for freedom, justice and democracy. Their legacy underscores the vital role of media freedom in an open and accountable society, a principle enshrined in the Constitution,” the Government Communication and Information System (GCIS) said in a statement on Monday.

For the families and communities those journalists served, the tribute carries weight. The publications that were shut down had been a lifeline of information for communities living under apartheid, and the people who produced them paid a personal price for that work. Government said the commemoration of Black Wednesday reaffirms the importance of protecting the hard-won freedoms of all South Africans.

“Protecting press freedom requires respect for constitutional rights and a collective commitment to an informed citizenry. This includes ensuring that journalists can carry out their work without intimidation, threats, harassment or violence,” the GCIS said.

That protection matters most, the statement suggests, in the daily working life of reporters and editors. Government therefore reaffirmed its commitment to strengthening engagement with the media fraternity and promoting transparent, accessible and accountable communication with the public.

Meanwhile, the timing of the message is significant. As the country enters an electioneering period, a free and independent media is vital to the democratic process, the GCIS said, adding that citizens must have access to accurate, timely and accessible information to make informed choices about the country’s future.

Government also acknowledged the challenges posed by misinformation, disinformation and the rapid spread of unverified claims on social media, and encouraged citizens to seek information from credible media houses.

The full statement can be read at https://www.sanews.gov.za/south-africa/government-pays-tribute-media-fraternity, where the tribute to the media fraternity was published by the South African Government News Agency.

The commemoration ultimately returns to the people at its centre: the journalists who were detained, the publications that were silenced, and the communities that depended on them. Their legacy, government argues, is not only history but a living obligation, one that asks South Africans to value and defend the press freedom that was won at such a cost. Whether that obligation is met in the years ahead will depend on how firmly the freedoms of 1977’s silenced voices are protected today.