South African Justice Minister Dullah Omar announced that a law forcing journalists to reveal their sources will be reviewed along with other apartheid-era laws that restrict the media, according to a report from the Freedom of Expression Institute (FXI) in the October-November issue of мFXI Update.о

A delegation of editors from the South African National Editorsн Forum (SANEF) in August reportedly persuaded several ministers to review Section 205 of the Criminal Procedure Act, which FXI said мhas been used, especially by the previous government, to try to force journalists to disclose their sources of information.о Until a new law can be passed guaranteeing the right to protect sources, the Justice Department and SANEF made a temporary agreement that мwould have the effect of preventing the indiscriminate use of Section 205 against journalists.о

FXI and Article 19 published a booklet on Section 205 titled мProtection of Media Sources in South Africa,о which includes speeches from a seminar held this year. The issue came to the fore after authorities subpoenaed photos of a gangsterнs slaying taken by мCape Timesо photographer Bennie Gool. The мCape Timesо refused to hand over the photos, either to the police or to an inquest into the slaying. FXI says journalists rely on sources to provide inside information and if these sources do not feel protected, they will not provide information for investigative reports. Copies of the booklet can be ordered from FXI at P.O. Box 30668, Braamfontein 2017 South Africa. Tel: (27-11) 403-8403. Fax: (27-11) 403-8309. E-mail: fxi@wn.apc.org. Web site: http://fxi.org.za .