South Africa: South Africa's media reject regulation plans

Media watchdogs in South Africa on Tuesday slammed proposed media regulations as a "draconian" ploy to muzzle the press and protect corrupt officials.

The ruling African National Congress (ANC) is mulling a Media Appeals Tribunal that would impose legal penalties on reporting, while Parliament is considering the Protection of Information Bill, which media organisations say would hamper investigative work.

 

"The current Bill is both draconian and Orwellian," Ayesha Kajee, of the media watchdog Freedom of Expression Institute, said during a discussion hosted by Talk Radio 702.

 

Related Stories

 

S.A. media rejects proposed regulation

 

"The real danger is potential future misuse. It will allow any state organ or institution to classify any information."

 

The media tribunal, first mooted in 2007, would adjudicate complaints on media reports in a bid to make journalists legally accountable, according to the ANC, which will debate the proposal at a meeting next month.

 

'Slippery road to nowhere'

 

The bill seeks to classify information deemed of national security. Publication of classified information would be punishable with up to 25 years in jail.

 

"If we go the way of the tribunal, we are on a slippery road to nowhere and that will be compounded by the Bill," said Sej Motau, a Member of Parliament from the main opposition Democratic Alliance and former journalist himself.

 

"You don't protect information by making it secret. If we go down this route, it's double-think. We talk of protecting when we mean making secret. You are going to have bureaucrats deciding what's got to be classified."

 

Mondli Makhanya, chairman of the South African National Editors Forum, expressed fears the new measures would be used to target journalists whom he said were being already attacked "as if we are the bin Ladens of this country."

 

ANC spokesman Jackson Mthembu defended the Bill and the proposed tribunal as necessary to ensure "stronger sanctions" against bad journalism.

 

Raymond Louw of the South African Press Council warned the bill and the tribunal could be used to "criminalise information and put editors behind bars."

 

Media houses say their self-regulatory mechanism in the office of the Press Ombudsman already hears complaints and can require newspapers to print prominent apologies or corrections

 

 -August 17, 2010 by AFP

……………..

Source: www.africareview.com/News/-/825442/978496/-/ugs70rz/-/index.html (accessed on 18.08.10)