AfriForum Youth reports Beeld to Press Ombudsman

AfriForum Youth submitted a complaint against the Afrikaans daily newspaper, Beeld to the Press Ombudsman. This complaint arises from months of inaccurate and sensationalist reporting in the newspaper regarding student affairs on the Potchefstroom Campus of the North West University (NWU).

“AfriForum was in a process of laying a complaint in February of this year already. We however decided to put it aside after the NWU indicated that they would from their side lay a complaint against Beeld. The NWU has since then not given a direct answer regarding the road ahead, and we therefor decided to submit our own complaint,” Henk Maree, National Chairperson of AfriForum Youth said.

In a letter to the Institutional Office of the NWU, AfriForum asked whether their complaint against Beeld has been withdrawn, but no response was received from the NWU.

“AfriForum Youth supports freedom of speech. We understand and respect the role the media play in South Africa, but irresponsible journalism cannot be overlooked,” Maree said.