Africa/Middle East

We err on the side of freedom

For the next few months we’re taking you to South Africa. The World Cup is over, so what now? We’ll try find out for you.

“It is unlikely that a few hours of freedom should cause irrevocable harm to the state’s case. If we err, we err on the side of freedom.”

With that a South African High Court judge released a journalist who had been arrested and held without charge after writing a story critical of the national police commissioner in the Sunday Times newspaper.

While the police were arresting this journalist, coincidently other journalists were meeting to chat about recent threats to media freedom in the country.

South African media has been warned to be on their guard as the ruling party – the African National Congress – has proposed plans for a Media Appeals Tribunal (MAT) and a Protection of Information Bill as a replacement to media self-regulation.

What does this mean?

The MAT will be in place to make sure the media are legally held accountable for what they say. This tribunal will be appointed by parliament, which myself and many others would argue is an automatic conflict of interest.

The Protection of Information Bill will make some documents classified (for national security reasons) and if any classified documents are published the punishment is 25 years in jail.

The ANC says they’re doing this to make journalists behave responsibly.  But journalists are not buying it; they say it’s an attempt to gag the press.

What do others say?

“…a threat to the people of South Africa’s right to information and rigorous political debate…” - International Press Institute

“Such a tribunal relates to apartheid-style tactics where the media was told what to write and say.” - The National Press Club

Some former newspaper editors in the country have gone as far as to say that the appointment of a statutory body will be the first step onto a “dark and evil” path.

I’ve always believed that media freedom and government accountability go hand-in-hand. If South Africa wants to keep its international credibility, it absolutely has to rethink this new policy.

See Marcus’ mobile coverage from around World Cup in South Africa

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