South Africa rights agency investigates white media ban

South Africa's leading human rights agency is investigating why white journalists were barred from a briefing with Jacob Zuma, the leader of the ruling African National Congress (ANC), media reported on Monday.

A number of white reporters were asked to leave or refused entry at an event on Friday sponsored by the Forum of Black Journalists (FBJ).

Black, Indian and other non-white journalists were allowed into the briefing, where Zuma was the guest speaker.

South Africa's Talk Radio 702 said it had formally complained to the South African Human Rights Commission after one of its reporters was told to leave the event in a Johannesburg suburb.

The commission is expected to make an announcement later on Monday, the Citizen newspaper reported.

The incident has stirred controversy in South Africa, with many drawing comparisons with the racist policies of the apartheid system, which was dismantled before the 1994 all-race elections.

The FBJ has defended its decision to exclude whites.

Abbey Makoe, the chairman of the FBJ's steering committee, told Talk Radio 702 that black journalists had been disadvantaged and sidelined historically and needed a forum to discuss their issues separately.

Zuma, who has accused the media of biased reporting in their coverage of his corruption case, told reporters at the briefing that he saw nothing wrong with the exclusionary policy, though he added that it had been the FBJ's decision.

Zuma is due to go on trial in August for corruption, fraud, money-laundering and racketeering in connection with an arms deal scandal. He is accused of accepting hundreds of thousands of dollars in bribes from a French arms manufacturer.

He denies the charges and has described the case against him as a political conspiracy by officials close to President Thabo Mbeki, whom he defeated for the ANC leadership in a bitter contest in December.