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International Freedom of Expression eXchange Clearing House
________________________________________________________________
Date: 10 April 1996

SOUTH AFRICA: Telecommunications cabinet minister fired

ORIGINATOR: Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ), New York

Dr. Pallo Jordan, Minister of Posts, Telecommunications and
Broadcasting, was dismissed from his cabinet post on 28 March
1996 after a series of conflicts with President Nelson Mandela
and other senior African National Congress (ANC) members. Jordan
was a strong opponent of state interference in the broadcasting
services and regularly opposed Mandela and fellow cabinet members
on issues involving civil rights and the government's economic
and development strategies. In 1994, Jordan clashed with Deputy
President Thabo Mbeki over a one-hour programming slot that Mbeki
had requested for the government on the South African
Broadcasting Service (SABS).

Observers believe that Jordan is being used as an example for
other  high-level officials to keep future criticism of Mandela
to a minimum and away from the public spotlight.

For further information, contact Kakuna Kerina (x103) or Azeen
Salimi (x118) at CPJ, 330 Seventh Ave, New York NY 10001, U.S.A.,
tel:+1 212 465 1004, fax:+1 212 465 9568, e-mail:
kkerina@cpj.org, asalimi@cpj.org

The information contained in this alert is the sole
responsibility of its originator.
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________________________________________________________
Bruce Girard
AMARC - Pulsar
Email: bgirard@pulsar.org.ec
http://www.web.apc.org/amarc/pulsar.html
Tel: +(593-2) 525-521    Fax/Tel: +(593-2) 542-818
Avenida America 3584, Casilla 17-01-1171, Quito, Ecuador