Protection of Information Bil

[cyghost]

I'm very happy other countries are taking an interest and making their views heard.

Thanks for the updates, mefiante.

[Mefiante]

No problem about the updates.  In my view, it’s by a huge margin the single most important socio-political issue currently facing SA’s people.  If these proposals are passed, the longer-term ramifications are deeply frightening.  Judging by their repeated calls for more control over the media (as in, “Who watches the watchers?”), the ANC’s pundits for this insanity are either genuinely or, what is more likely, deliberately naïve about how self-regulation in the media actually works.  The media, contrary to the implications of the ANC’s ignorant baying, are not one homogeneous herd, with all individuals migrating in the same direction.

'Luthon64

[Mefiante]

South African constitutional law expert Prof. Pierre de Vos is prepared to bet his salary that the proposed Protection of Information Bill won’t, in its present form, stand up to muster by the ConCourt.

'Luthon64

[GCG]

heard that on the news as well.  question is, how long will it take before the constitutional court changing and fighting over the inns and outs, how much other shite will go down while there is a muzzle on the press?

[Mefiante]

question is, how long will it take before the constitutional court changing and fighting over the inns and outs, how much other shite will go down while there is a muzzle on the press?

A few months I’d imagine, given the urgency and seriousness of the issue.  Assuming that the proposed bill is passed (and there’s a good chance that it will, what with the ANC’s full weight behind it), what then needs to happen is that a story is put forward for publication that runs afoul of the Act’s provisions and which the ruling mob attempts to suppress, based on those provisions.  A test case in the form of a challenge for relief by the would-be publisher will subsequently need to proceed through various levels of the court hierarchy, the lower levels of which must reject the would-be publisher’s case until it ultimately ends up before the ConCourt where the foundation of the enacted law itself can be attacked on the grounds of being unconstitutional and/or redundant in the light of existing legislation and mechanisms.

'Luthon64

[GCG]

if the ruling party wants this to drag along indefinitely, they will make sure of it.

[Mefiante]

The ConCourt, being part of an independent judiciary, will tolerate only so much prevarication from any party to a case.  Too much prevarication risks a default judgement being issued against the prevaricator(s).  This independence is also constitutionally enshrined.

'Luthon64

[Mefiante]

And the ANC’s spindoctoring shenanigans commence in earnest!  Dare one hope that these moves are the incipient stages of a serious rethink – or maybe even backpedalling?  That would be nice.

'Luthon64

[GCG]

dont you just love these spindoctors.  saying so much, but never really getting to a point.  they must have a big word roulette program on their laptops, spewing out random important sounding vocab, that they askhully dont even know wtf they are saying.
gotta luv it.
i said to boogie and steve last night, i wonder what this little media hub-bub is hiding?  i find, that usually when the media's attention is being pointed in one direction by some incredulous nonsense, there is something more evil afoot.  since the malema genie has been used up, they need something else.
surely, the dudes that wrote that bill, bot direction from higher up, and surely, even if you managed to work your corrupt ass all the way to the top, you will know that a bill like this will never get passed?  its just to controversial.
so, what are they hiding?

[cyghost]

The government is concerned about negative foreign coverage of its perceived attempts to place restrictions on the press and is seeking to meet senior editors to discuss clashing views on its plans, government spokesperson Themba Maseko said on Thursday.

Awesome to negative foreign coverage!!!

[Hermes]

I suspect government is getting concerned that the bill will have the unintended consequence of earning it more negative publicity than what it suppresses.   A political party can ill afford having too many enemies in the press.

[Mefiante]

Resistance to the ANC’s proposals continues to mount in various quarters:

Tomorrow (Tuesday 24/08) at 21:30 the ANC’s proposals will be discussed on e.tv’s 3rd Degree programme.  It’s a near certainty that sparks will fly.

The General Council of the Bar (GCB) calls Secrecy Bill “unconstitutional.”

UCT’s vice-chancellor rejects Protection of Information Bill because it will stifle research.

Cosatu gives only restricted support.

Cape Chamber of Commerce rejects PIB because it will inhibit weeding out corruption in the public service.

Several renowned SA writers unconditionally reject the ANC’s proposals.

Meanwhile, JZ and the ANC continue to make funny noises that are supposed to convince everyone that they are very much concerned about people’s rights.

'Luthon64

[GCG]

i wonder if they realized what a shit-storm they were creating?
thank goodness for reason.

[Mefiante]

Here’s a taste of the kind of results that may well become commonplace if the ANC’s media proposals are passed into law.

'Luthon64

[StevoMuso]

i wonder if they realized what a shit-storm they were creating?
thank goodness for reason.

And thank reason for goodness