Pretoria - Deputy President Kgalema Motlanthe on Friday met with the leadership of the South African National Editors' Forum (SANEF) to prepare for a broader meeting between government and SANEF in October.
Friday's meeting formed part of government's efforts to strengthen relations with the media, according to a statement from the Government Communication and Information System (GCIS).
The meeting also focused on opening channels of communication on matters of mutual interest between the two parties, such as the Protection of Information Bill.
Motlanthe welcomed discussions with SANEF and affirmed that government regarded the Constitution of the Republic of South Africa as supreme law and stressed the importance of media freedom as enshrined in the Constitution.
He stated that "it is not the intention of government to undermine the pillars of our democracy" and called on all parties to act in a manner that deepens democracy.
Chairperson of SANEF Mondli Makhanya welcomed the meeting with the Deputy President and emphasised that "the meeting showed that it was possible for government and the media to relate to each other in a mature and non-conflictual manner".
He said he was encouraged by the Deputy President's re-iteration of the government's commitment to the Constitutional safeguards for media freedom and freedom of expression.
