IPI mourns South Africa journalist Raymond Louw

The International Press Institute (IPI) mourns the death of Raymond Louw, one of South Africa’s most respected journalists and a vocal media freedom champion. Louw passed away on June 5, just one day after the death of this wife, Jean. He was 92. A long-time, active member of IPI and a former IPI Executive Board […]

The International Press Institute (IPI) mourns the death of Raymond Louw, one of South Africa’s most respected journalists and a vocal media freedom champion.

Louw passed away on June 5, just one day after the death of this wife, Jean. He was 92.

A long-time, active member of IPI and a former IPI Executive Board member, Louw was named an IPI World Press Freedom Hero in 2011 for his “commitment to press freedom and his outspoken defence of journalists’ rights”.

He was the editor of the Rand Daily Mail (1966 to 1977) and General Manager of South Africa Associated Newspapers (1977 to 1988). He was editor and publisher of the weekly current affairs newsletter Southern Africa Report for 28 years until March 2011.  He was also vice-president of South African PEN, chairman of the South Africa Chapter of the Media Institute of Southern Africa (Misa), deputy chairman of the Media Freedom Committee of the South Africa National Editors Forum, and an executive committee member and former chairman of the Freedom of Expression Institute.

Most recently, he was outspoken about politicians who seek to intimidate journalists and a host of laws in democratic South Africa that affect media freedoms. He used his voice to advocate for press freedom across the world, joining several IPI missions.

Louw’s intercession on behalf of IPI in 1996 for the late Le Messager Editor Pius Njawe, then imprisoned in Cameroon, led to a presidential pardon for Njawe six months later.

His passion and perseverance in pursuit of press freedom, and his dedication to the mission of IPI, will be deeply missed. (IPI)