Civil society organisations – the Campaign for Free Expression (CFE), the Campaign on Digital Ethics (CODE), Moxii Africa, and the South African National Editors’ Forum (SANEF) – today commemorate World Press Freedom Day at an event in Johannesburg titled Freedom of Expression Gagged, against the backdrop of the Zambian government’s last minute cancellation of RightsCon 2026.

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RightsCon, the world’s leading summit on rights in the digital age, was due to have taken place in Lusaka from 5-8 May – the first time the conference would have been hosted in Sub-Saharan Africa. Its cancellation, confirmed by host organisation Access Now on 29 April, followed reported Chinese diplomatic pressure on the Zambian government over the planned participation of Taiwanese civil society members. The Zambian government’s written communication to Access Now demanded content alignment with “national values” and the exclusion of specific communities as conditions for the conference to proceed. Access Now refused.

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Conditioning a civil society convening on prior approval of its content or participants is fundamentally incompatible with the rights to freedom of expression, association, and peaceful assembly. It signals that civic space is contingent on state authorisation.

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The cancellation disrupted not only RightsCon but a broader convening in Lusaka that included UNESCO’s World Press Freedom Day Global Conference and the Africa Media Convention – both of which are continuing as planned. CFE, CODE, Moxii Africa, and SANEF are among the signatories of an open letter calling on UNESCO and participating states to reconsider holding these events under conditions that demonstrably constrained free and independent participation.

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Today’s event in Johannesburg brings together journalists, editors, lawyers, and activists, to examine freedom of expression under pressure. Sessions address the use of gagging orders against South African media, the weaponisation of litigation to silence journalists in South Africa and Kenya, and a region-wide assessment of the conditions facing press freedom. The event will also feature a reading of the open letter on RightsCon's cancellation, which is open for public signature.

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South Africa marks World Press Freedom Day ranked 21st out of 180 countries in the 2026  Reporters Without Borders World Press Freedom Index – the highest ranking on the continent. We note that constitutional protections for press freedom in South Africa remain significant and worth defending, while flagging that domestic legal mechanisms are increasingly being used to suppress reporting in the public interest.

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“We commemorate World Press Freedom Day not as an annual ritual but as a reckoning," said Nicole Fritz, Director of CFE. "The events in Lusaka last week, and the legal threats facing journalists here at home, make clear that press freedom is not self-sustaining. It requires active, organised, and sometimes inconvenient defence."

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“The Zambian government's decision comes at a time when freedom of expression is under attack globally either to shut down voices of critique or silence people from exposing abuse of power.  It is precisely when these principles are threatened that we must all take a principled stand to protect them” said William Bird Director of Moxii Africa

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Reggy Moalusi, Director of SANEF added: “The reality is that we still have sectors of our society that hate the work journalists do. As we fight these gags and censors, we also have to think about the sustainability of our fraternity, and why journalism remains to play a critical role as a public good.”

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As we mark World Press Freedom Day, we affirm that freedom of expression cannot depend on political convenience, diplomatic pressure, or the selective approval of those in power. The cancellation of RightsCon 2026, alongside growing efforts to silence journalists through legal and other coercive means, underscores the urgency of defending civic space across the region. CFE, CODE, Moxii Africa, and SANEF call on governments, multilateral institutions, media actors, and the public to reject all attempts to curtail independent participation, critical reporting, and open debate. “A free press and a free civic sphere are not optional features of democracy; they are among its most essential safeguards," said Kavisha Pillay, Director of CODE

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Event details: Freedom of Expression Gagged: World Press Freedom Day Commemoration 2026, WeWork, The Link, Rosebank, Johannesburg, 5 May 2026, 14:00–17:00.

• RSVP for in-person attendance here
• RSVP for online attendance here

Media Enquiries:

Campaign for Free Expression - Nicole Fritz (nicole@freeexpression.org.za)

Campaign on Digital Ethics - Kavisha Pillay (kavisha@code-sa.org)

Moxii Africa - William Bird (william@mma.org.za)

SANEF - Reggy Moalusi (reggym@sanef.org.za)