Cape Verde: Suspended director of public broadcaster must be reinstated

The board of directors of the national public broadcaster, Radio and Television of Cape Verde (RTC), imposed a 45-day suspension without remuneration on the director of Television of Cape Verde (TCV), Bernardina Ferreira, on 30 October. The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) joins its affiliate, the Associacão Sindical dos Jornalistas de Cabo Verde (AJOC), in condemning this shocking decision. They also call for the lifting of the suspension with immediate effect and an end to political interference in the media.

TCV Director, Bernardina Ferreira (Photo Credit AJOC)

According to a statement issued by AJOC, the disciplinary sanction against Ferreira followed two rulings by this island country's Regulatory Authority for Social Communication (ARC), on 25 August and 2 September, which "unequivocally confirmed illegitimate interference by the RTC board of directors in the editorial content of TCV." This sanction appears to be a serious act of reprisal and intimidation, and one that is incompatible with the principles of an independent press.

Ferreira stated that the disciplinary proceedings arose from a dispute over "editorial interference" by the RTC board of directors, while RTC's management said that it originated as an "internal management matter". One of the complaints lodged to the ARC involved the hiring of an external programme, without the knowledge of the channel's management, the director reported.

AJOC believes that the decision of the RTC violates Article 40 of the Television law and fundamental values enshrined in the Cape Verde Constitution. Moreover, the Association described the suspension as "an expression of unacceptable political and administrative interference in the editorial sphere of public television, aimed at punishing an official who merely defended the law and the editorial independence" of the public service media.

IFJ General Secretary Anthony Bellanger said that political manoeuvres designed to discredit the work of independent journalists are a direct attack on media freedom and hence totally unacceptable in a democratic society: "Public service media must be allowed to perform their duties based on the public interest, without any form of intimidation from politicians or members of governing bodies. The RTC board of directors must be independent from political manipulations. It must also defend the fundamental rights of journalists, rather than subjecting them to unfair disciplinary actions that undermine media freedom."

The IFJ, together with AJOC, demands the immediate and unconditional cancellation of the 45-day suspension of Bernardina Ferreira. They also call on Cape Verde's government and competent authorities to fulfil their constitutional duty to guarantee the independence of public media outlets.