Free Speech: A Global History from Socrates to Social Media

by Jacob Mchangama

Shortly before winning the 1994 election, Mandela gave a speech to the International Press Institute Congress in which he expressed gratitude to the international media for exposing the evils of white supremacy and giving a voice to the many South Africans who had been silenced by apartheid. Mandela also promised that freedom of expression would constitute a “core value” of the new South African democracy: No single person, no body of opinion, no political or religious doctrine, no political party or government can claim to have a monopoly on truth. For that reason truth can be arrived at only through the untrammelled contest between and among competing opinions, in which as many viewpoints as possible are given a fair and equal hearing. It has therefore

always been our contention that laws, mores, practices and prejudices that place constraints on freedom of expression are a disservice to society.4