October 15, 2010 – The African Editors’ Forum honoured Nelson Mandela for his commitment to press freedom during his term in office with an award on Wednesday, October 13.
The African Editors’ Forum gathered in Bamako, Mali to honour African presidents and leaders who had created media-friendly societies during their term in office.
The award was accepted by Nelson Mandela Foundation Trustee Professor Njabulo Ndebele on behalf of Mr Mandela. During the acceptance speech, Prof Ndebele highlighted how the forum has created a valuable space for discussion and debate on the role of the media in Africa.
He said, “Madiba is truly honoured to receive this award from a distinguished gathering of journalists described as ‘the biggest gathering of editors on the continent’. He accepts this award with humility.”
He then thanked the forum, saying that the award was a tribute to Mr Mandela’s philosophy that the media are a key pillar in a successful democracy.
To read the full acceptance speech, download the PDF here.