South Africa: S.African media win right to cover parliament meeting

CAPE TOWN (Reuters) - South Africa's media obtained a court order preventing parliament from blocking them from a committee meeting on Tuesday in the latest incident pitting the press against the state in Africa's biggest economy. The government has faced criticism at home and abroad from two proposed media reform measures that some have said were similar to draconian laws to limit the flow of information during the apartheid era of white-minority rule.

The court order called on parliament to open its doors to the media for a communications committee meeting on state-owned broadcaster SABC, which has faced troubles in management and finances that have embarrassed the ruling African National Congress (ANC).

"It sends out a strong message to everybody else, especially here in parliament, who wants to do such a thing: the media will not take this lying down," said Caiphus Kgosana, who heads the parliamentary media group, the Press Gallery Association (PGA).

About 40 PGA journalists had staged a sit-in protest outside the committee room after police prevented them from entering.

The committee responded to the court order by suspending its hearing.

The ANC has been accused by media groups of trying to stifle investigative reporting after facing stinging media reports on corruption in its ranks, and of using its influence in leading industries, including mining, to benefit its allies.

One of the two media measures that has faced criticism is a bill before parliament designed to protect state secrets, which carries up to 25 years in jail for those who illegally publish classified information.

Critics say the bill's definition of secrets is so broad that the government could stop any information from making its way to investigative reporters and cut investors off from data affecting equity, treasury and foreign exchange markets.

The other measure is the ANC's proposed Media Appeals Tribunal, which it says is designed to punish irresponsible reporting. Critics say it will effectively allow the party that dominates parliament to censor reports it does not like.

Under apartheid, journalists were prevented from writing about the actions of security forces and were often arrested and jailed for being in black townships where anti-apartheid riots were the order of the day.

-August 24, 2010 by Wendell Roelf

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Source: af.reuters.com/article/topNews/idAFJOE67N0G420100824   (accessed on 25.08.10)