GFCN Statement on the Detention of Dr. Nonkululeko Mantula

According to reports, Dr. Nonkululeko Mantula — co-chair of the BRICS Journalists Association, CEO of GSQ Media House, journalist, and GFCN expert — was detained at Johannesburg Airport, South Africa, on November 28.

Dr. Mantula has long been dedicated to open journalism, covering global events with a focus on the realities within the BRICS countries, Africa, Latin America, and Russia. She was a speaker at the Voices of the New World Global South Journalism Conference in Caracas in 2025 and is a recipient of Radio Free Europe’s prestigious Bright Star award.

Dr. Mantula was also a speaker at the June 2025 Russian Global Digital Forum 2025 and Roundtable “Combating Disinformation: Global Practices and Solutions,” which explored how Western and global media often cover events in a haphazard manner. She also served as a lecturer in the “Media” track at the World Youth Festival in September 2025, demonstrating how to understand the historical forces that are changing the global agenda and why young people’s voices are now heard everywhere.

Dr. Mantula also spoke at the “Dialog about Fakes 3.0” forum on countering false information in Moscow in October 2025, held under the auspices of UNESCO’s Global Media and Information Literacy Week. As part of the discussion “The Global Geography of Fakes,” she shared examples of disinformation that have negatively impacted South Africa.

Through our contact with her at GFCN, we have come to know her as a journalist who actively counters disinformation and makes significant contributions to youth education and media literacy on a large scale. All of Dr. Mantula’s work as a GFCN expert is transparent and public, as documented on the association’s websites and social media channels.

GFCN reiterates its grave concern over Dr. Mantula’s detention and demands strict adherence to international legal norms regarding members of the press. Freedom of speech and the protection of journalists are universal values that must be upheld, regardless of the political climate.

The Association expects to receive clarifying information regarding the motives and circumstances of this detention and is closely monitoring the situation.

President of the Global Fact-Checking Network (GFCN),
Vladimir Tabak