Retired Constitutional Court judge Pius Langa commended the media for "talking" the country out of apartheid.

He was addressing a commemoration of "Black Wednesday" by South African media in Johannesburg on Monday.

"The media, like other institutions, made a lot of noise against oppression. It talked us out of apartheid," said Langa.

He said he would mourn the day when the media was silent.

Without the media, equality and human dignity would diminish in this democratic state, he said.

"Independence of both the media and judiciary is very important for our democracy to flourish."

Monday is the anniversary of Wednesday 19 October 1977, the day that saw major newspapers, The World, Weekend World and the Christian publication Pro-Veritas, banned by the then apartheid government.

On the same day scores of activists and journalists were detained.

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