Despite being invited, journalists from seven media organisations were barred from the ANCYL conference at the Joza Indoor Sports Centre on Saturday.
Despite being invited, journalists from seven media organisations were barred from the ANCYL conference at the Joza Indoor Sports Centre on Saturday.
The media were the first to arrive at 8.30am after being informed by the regional chairperson, Mabhuti Matyumza, that the conference was to start at 9am. They were later told to leave the hall. Gathering outside the gate in confusion, they were prevented from entering again.
The media were also not allowed accreditation the day before at Noluthando Hall and were told that they will be attended to once ANCYL officials were done with the delegates. Kwanele Butana from Grocott’s Mail waited until late to be registered and no one gave him a definite answer as to whether they will receive accreditation or not.
An ANCYL official, Mashwabada Gcilishe, who seemed to be in charge at the conference, assured the media at about 11am on Saturday that they will be attended to and urged them to be patient as they were still waiting for the people who were responsible for the accreditation. Gcilishe wrote down the names of the journalists and guaranteed that even if they were not registered, he would personally make sure that they were allowed inside.
Broken promises
After a long wait, journalists were told at 3.30pm that they were not going to be allowed to attend as the conference was a closed session. This lead to the group of journalists huddling at the gate, holding up their cameras to try catch a glimpse of what was going on. Sunday Times journalist, Zine George, said that it serves no purpose to report from the gate:
“The main story would have been to hear Malema speaking,” she said.
ETV reporter, Donovan Scott, was one of the journalists attempting to film from the gates: “The situation is always unpredictable with the ANC Youth League, maybe they will allow us in later," he said.
A taste of the future
This treatment of the media was like putting a thorn in a fresh wound given the fact that journalists are still trying to make sense of the proposed ANC's Media Tribunal and Protection of Information Bill.
The media was finally allowed to enter the conference venue on Sunday afternoon. Vuyiswa Tuleloyo, the secretary of the ANCYL, said she would not apologise to the media for not being able to join the closed session but apologised for not communicating clearly with them. The media were then allowed to participate in two press conferences where they interviewed Tuleloyo and the newly elected president of the Eastern Cape ANCYL, Ayanda Matiti.
