Murray Hunter, National Coordinator, Right2Know Campaign
I would like to highlight a factual inaccuracy in the recent article by Bernard Molapo titled, "S. Africa to enact new law targeting media." This article conflates two very different threats to media freedom. The Protection of Information Bill is being drafted to allow government officials more power to classify state information.
It certainly would impact the press, by drawing a veil of secrecy over the working of the South African state and carries harsh penalties and prison sentences for those who reveal classified information in the public interest (e.g. SA journalists). However, it does not mention the press regulation system at all.
Click to read the original article.
The debate surrounding regulation of SA media comes from the proposed "Media Appeals Tribunal", which is a policy proposal from the ANC that would introduce statutory, post-publication regulation of the print media.
The Protection of Information Bill (also known as the Secrecy Bill) is currently before Parliament and is at an advanced stage in its progress to becoming law. The Media Appeals Tribunal is still a policy proposal - in other words, it's a very separate threat to the freedom of the media and is still very much on the horizon.
Sincerely,
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