Established in 1976 for free speech
Winnipeg Press Club celebrates 125th anniversary:
Latest newsletter (PDF 15.7MB)
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PRESS STATEMENT
May 8, 2012
Cape Town Press Club says its membership policy is not the real issue
Following the recent incident with Minister Tina Joemat-Pettersson, the Cape Town Press Club wishes to state:
The Cape Town Press Club is the oldest and most active press club in South Africa, and our membership base includes politicians, business people, journalists, PR practitioners and members of the diplomatic corps. We are not associated or affiliated to the National Press Club or the Johannesburg Press Club.
Read moreOur Constitution states that, “Membership shall be restricted to persons over the age of 18 years. All applications will be approved according to the committee's discretion.” It describes a “Full Member” as being someone who is, “committed to pursuing and promoting the interests of the Press, media and communications industries, especially the principle of providing through the Club a non-partisan forum and platform for the exchange of opinions and ideas in the spirit of a free Press and freedom of speech, conscience and association.”
Until now, members of the media and people who may be of interest to the media and public, including politicians from all parties, have been welcome to apply for membership. Members are also welcome to bring guests to functions. Our membership includes public representatives from all parties. Politicians are also allowed to be members of international press clubs such as the National Press Club in Washington, the New York Press Club, and others in America, Europe and the Far East.
Our members come from a range of backgrounds and industries:
- Business - 133
- Diplomatic - 29 (Consuls and consular staff)
- Journalists - 125
- Politics - 18
- Public Relations - 86
- Writers - 16
- Retired - 52
- Other - 77
We are committed to a democratic South Africa where equality and free speech is respected, protected and defended. Our mission is to provide a platform and we have managed to do so.
We are not a press conference or press briefing forum.
Nor are our functions for members only. Excluding politicians from our membership would not necessarily have changed the events around this unfortunate incident, since members are allowed guests and these guests may include politicians.
The chair at meetings is always in control and will intercede if a member of the audience starts to make a political speech.
No previous politician - from Jacob Zuma to Tokyo Sexwale to Malusi Gigaba and Helen Zille - has had an issue with this. All have spoken to the press club with other politicians present. Recently, DA MP Lance Greyling was a guest and asked our speaker Minister Ebrahim Patel a question. There was no problem, and for 36 years we have had no such incident nor demand from any speaker to exclude a member of the audience.
In September 2008, an ANC member applied to become a member of the Cape Town Press Club. In his membership motivation, he said we provided a, "...platform for [regular media] interaction in a coordinated, professional fashion. The Press Club also serves as a forum for debate and interaction with newsmakers that will in turn provide personal insight into social and political issues... no media professional can do his or her job properly without this network, forum and instrument."
While we regret the incident on Friday, we note that this is the first time ever that a speaker – many of them far more controversial or senior - has objected and behaved in such a way.
There have been allegations that the Club’s chairperson was formerly a DA spokesperson. This is not the case – he was the spokesperson for a Minister. This was not a party-political post.
PRESS STATEMENT
May 3, 2012
World Press Freedom Day: A Chance To Look To The Future
World Press Freedom Day is a chance for everyone involved in the media to reflect on what has been achieved in the search for media freedom. A free public needs a free media.
Read moreHere in South Africa, a large chorus of voices have spoken out against government’s “Secrecy Bill” plans and we hope that our legislators have listened.
Instead of imposing draconian laws that could potentially end up with reporters being locked up just because they did their job by asking difficult questions, the media should be allowed to put in place proper self-regulation. Professional journalists already operate according to a strict code of ethics, and it is not for government to interfere or intervene.
The Cape Town Press Club also hopes that political rhetoric that demonizes the media will be removed from our public discourse. It has unfortunately created a fertile breeding ground for people who mistakenly believe they can take out their frustrations on working journalists, something we saw earlier this year at the Good Hope Centre in Cape Town.
We believe it is up to all of us – journalists, politicians and civil society – to ensure South Africa improves its press freedom ranking. According to Reporters Without Borders, we fell from position 38 (in 2010) to position 42 (in 2011) on their Press Freedom Index. The proposals put forward by the Press Freedom Commission last week is a step in the right direction.
PRESS STATEMENT
February 24, 2012
Cape Town Press Club reacts to attack on SABC cameraman at ANC event in Cape Town
There is more than a measure of irony that it was a journalist - SABC cameraman Rudi le Roux - who ended up in the firing line of the rampageous youth at Cape Town's Good Hope Centre during the ANC centenary celebrations addressed by President Jacob Zuma on Thursday. It is unfortunate, indeed, that the incident took place within the context of a government onslaught against the media – through the Protection of State Information Bill and the proposed Media Tribunal.
Read moreThis incident is a consequence of the vilification of the media from within the ruling party. It has provided the licence to unruly elements to vent their anger against the media - who unlike the president - are not protected by a field of armed bodyguards. The Cape Town Press Club extends its best wishes to Rudi - a colleague of ours for many years.
The Cape Town Press Club still firmly believes that the Secrecy Bill should be scrapped in its entirety.
Government dare not go so far as to criminalize freedom of speech.
Rhodes University has announced that the 2012 Barry Streek Scholarship has been awarded to Chelsea Farrelly McMillan. Chelsea is an AFDA graduate who hails from Cape Town. Chelsea wants to use her current studies and undergraduate education to report on South Africa's arts and culture.
News Reporting lecturer and editor, Anna Christensen who worked closely with Chelsea during her coverage of the National Science Festival described her as: "a very hard working, enthusiastic and creative individual... with the potential to go far."
New members recently accepted into the Cape Town Press Club are Shona Bagley, Ilse Kleinsmidt, Judy Gathercole and Gillian Lindner.
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The Cape Town Press Club is the oldest press club in South Africa and we draw our membership from professionals who work in the media in Cape Town.
Please browse through our website or contact us if you need more information.
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Chris Nissen, former Western Cape ANC leader @ 6 Spin Street Restaurant Wednesday, May 23, 2012 Former Western Cape African National Congress leader Chris Nissen addresses the press club on why he believes that hydraulic fracturing is the way to go in the Karoo. He leads a lobby organisation which represents poor community members on the region where big companies are eager to explore the possibilities of fracturing the shale rock deep underground for gas. He will take questions and will welcome political opponents to attend the rigorous debate. |
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Cape Town Press Club Annual General Meeting Thursday, May 24, 2012 Notice of the Annual General Meeting of the Cape Town Press Club |
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Adv. Paul Hoffman SC, Director of the Institute for Accountability in Southern Africa @ The Pavilion Tuesday, May 15, 2012 Advocate Paul Hoffman SC is a director of the Institute for Accountability in Southern Africa. He was a member of the Cape Bar for 26 years during which time he did several stints as an acting judge. He is best known for representing Hugh "Bob" Glenister in his constitutional challenge of the laws that saw the Scorpions replaced by the Hawks and for securing the arms deals commission of inquiry for veteran campaigner Terry Crawford-Browne. He will address the Cape Town Press Club on "Hawks or Eagles: what does South Africa deserve?" |
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Tina Joemat-Pettersson, Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries Minister @ Cape Town Club Friday, May 04, 2012 Tina Joemat-Pettersson hails from the Northern Cape where she was an MEC for education and arts before she became national Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries Minister in 2009. She has been much in the news lately over fisheries policies as well as the research and marine patrol function which has now been placed under the charge of the navy after being outsourced to a private company. She will give an update on the process so far on the small scale fisheries policies, the fishing quotas and will take questions generally on the agriculture sector. |
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Raenette Taljaard - Up in Arms @ 6 Spin Street Restaurant Thursday, May 03, 2012 Raenette Taljaard was the youngest MP ever to come to parliament in 1999 when the Democratic Party became official opposition. She was appointed to the standing committee on public accounts where she scrutinised the "arms deal" documents. She later became the shadow finance minister. Up in Arms is an insider's story of political drama and intrigue during the Mbeki era when the arms deal controversy erupted and pitted parliament against the executive. |
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Miller Matola, CEO of Brand South Africa @ The Pavilion Thursday, April 19, 2012 The International Marketing Council was established to promote a positive, unified image of South Africa that builds pride, promotes tourism and investment and helps drive new enterprises and job creation. Brand South Africa benefited greatly from The FIFA World Cup and the still-relevant presence of Nelson Mandela, but it’s also been damaged by crime, horrific images of xenophobic violence and any number of diplomatic gaffes. Miller Matola has spoken about the need for SA to address weaknesses SA’s weakness as identified by the World Economic Forum: notably labour market efficiency, health and primary education, the health of the workforce, rigid hiring and firing practices, a lack of flexibility in wage determination by companies and the significant tensions in labour-employer relations. |
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Nicky Newton-King, first woman to head the JSE @ 6 Spin Street Restaurant Friday, April 13, 2012 The first woman to head the 123-year old Johannesburg Stock Exchange, Nicky Newton-King, recently replaced Russell Loubser in the hotseat at the JSE. Last year the JSE decided to bring its trading engine back to Johannesburg from London where it was based for eight years. A new trading engine will be 400 times faster than the current system. Newton-King will talk about her job, the right balance of regulation, and about how much listed companies should disclose. |
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Professor David Lewis, an extraordinary professor at the Gordon Institute of Business Science @ Cape Town Club Wednesday, March 28, 2012 Professor David Lewis, an extraordinary professor at the Gordon Institute of Business Science, is a graduate of the universities of Cape Town and Wits. He was a member of the task team advising the Trade and Industry Minister on the development of competition policy and participated in the drafting of the Competition Act. Lewis, who also served as special adviser to the Labour Minister and co-chaired the presidential commission on labour market policy during the mid-1990s, now heads. Corruption Watch, an initiative by Cosatu to stamp out corruption. He will take questions including on the marine patrol and research scandal of the fisheries department. |
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Riaad Moosa, one of SA’s top comedians @ The Grill Room Monday, March 26, 2012 Riaad Moosa is one of SA’s top comedians: his wryly uproarious stand-up routines dissect the absurdities of living in South Africa. Now his role in Ronnie Apteker’s movie "Material" is winning over audiences beyond Youtube and comedy clubs. Moosa will talk about his journey from doctor to comic to actor. |
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Reverend Dr Frank Chikane - Eight Days in September @ The Wild Fig Friday, March 16, 2012 The Reverend Dr Frank Chikane is a former director general of the presidency. He has written a riveting, behind-the-scenes account of the removal of Thabo Mbeki as president of South Africa. He examines the build up of events, describes the details of eight days in September 2008 and explores Mbeki's legacy. |
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Pregs Govender, Deputy Chairperson of the HRC @ 6 Spin Street Restaurant Thursday, March 15, 2012 Pregs Govender is someone with more experience of power than most; she has spent her lifetime opposing its worst manifestations. It’s her experience of power that has enabled her to ask compelling questions about the nature of power and in whose interests it is exercised. She is deputy chairperson of the human rights commission. She will take questions about human rights, and talk about the Commission’s Human Rights Month Campaign. |
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Marianne Thamm, veteran freelance journalist, author and editor @ The Pavilion Tuesday, March 13, 2012 Marianne Thamm is a veteran freelance journalist, author and editor. Her columns have amused, stimulated and sometimes enraged readers for the past 25 years. She wrote the best-seller "I Have Life - Alison's Story" which has sold over 85 000 copies. She is an occasional stand-up comedian with her brainchild the all-female collective Cracks Only. She is currently procrastinating the writing of a memoir of sorts on Helen Zille. She will speak to the Cape Town Press Club on race in Cape Town "in her professional personal capacity". |
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