The Media is South Africa has recently been downgraded internationally from "free" to "partially" free. Free media is very important for a democratic country because in order to be able to vote well, the citizens need to be properly informed, that's the role of the media.
however, If Media isn't free (for example it's corrupt or has pressure from the government), then it does not adhere to Article 16 which says that the media has to be fee.