Mandela would oppose Info Bill, says Sanef
NELSON Mandela believed the press should be free from government intervention since they were the only ones who could hold those in power accountable, SA National Editors Forum member Raymond Louw said yesterday.
"Mandela believed that then, when our democracy was starting; and his words have never been more apt than now," Louw said at a launch in Houghton ahead of next month's 2011 Nelson Mandela International Day.
Louw said had Mandela still been involved in politics he would be opposed to the proposed Protection of Information Bill. Louw quoted from speeches the former president had made at meetings of the International Press Institute in Cape Town and Kyoto, Japan.
"Freedom of the media and the press is among the oldest and most valued freedoms for which people the world over have fought. The ANC has extended its solidarity and shall continue to support journalists, editors, writers and other media people who face persecution because they seek to exercise this right."
Critics say the Bill will serve as a deterrent to investigative reporting and whistle-blowing, and the wide scope it allows for classification by all organs of state could be abused to keep citizens in the dark.
Nelson Mandela Foundation Trustee and Housing Minister Tokyo Sexwale said he agreed with the former president.
"Sometimes the press get it wrong, but as Mandela used to say, 'it is better for the press to get something wrong, than not say anything at all'," he said.
Philani Nombembe wrote yesterday that the Equal Education and Social Justice Coalition (SJC) have thrown their weight behind those opposing the Bill. SJC chairperson, Angy Peter, vowed to challenge the bill at the Constitutional Court to prevent the country from "going back to apartheid".
Makonese
It is sad that despite his infatuation with Mandela, the ANC under Zuma is doing its damnedest to reverse the gains made by the same party under Mandela. It's hyprocricy beyond comprehension. Perhaps Zuma is just using Mandela to gain favour with the populace by pretending to be inspired by Mandela while leading a party that does everything that he is against.Report Abuse
Negus
A wise man once said "the media is free but journalists are not". In that statement is the problem behind all this. If the media was objective, I doubt if we would be seeing any of this. Angy Peter shows a lack of appreciation for history as there are examples of the media being used to topple governments only to have them replaced by oppressive ones that serve a particular agenda. I suggest people look up Operation Ajax before the name calling starts. People who do not learn from history are bound to repeat the same mistakes.Report Abuse
Makonese
@Negus....I don't plan to call anybody names, but I will tell you this though; The fact that certain people misuse the important institutions like the media for their nefarious agendas does not mean the institutions themselves should be done away with. I'm saying this in response to your statement, "I doubt if we would be seeing any of this. Angy Peter shows a lack of appreciation for history as there are examples of the media being used to topple governments only to have them replaced by oppressive ones that serve a particular agenda." This argument is simila to the one used by those in the ANC who wanted to see the demise of Scorpions. The fact that some people in government allegedly used the crime fighting institution to fight their political battles does not make the Scorpions bad. What should have happened is the investigation and prosecution of those individuals found to have abused their power and the Scorpions. But then again we all know the real reason why the Scorpions were closed down and replaced with the not-so-sharp and government controlled Hawks, and we all know that there is no noble reason for trying to control the media through the secrecy bill and the media tribunal.
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Asinamali
Mandela was always 99% fair,there will be no one who will continue with his legacy of free south Africa in the current ANC leadership.people will no longer govern as it was the idea,guptas will continue running our country without our knowledge.Report Abuse
Negus
@ Makonese, as far as the scorpions were concerned, I agree with you regarding their investigative prowess but had issues with some aspects of their operations and their constitutionality but I guess it is now a moot point. The statement you quoted made reference to the objectivity of the media and it's inability to respect people's rights and yet run to hide behind the rights they deny others. I believe that they could have played a part in building the country but chose to be blatant in their king making endevours and when it bites them in the (you know where) they now expect pity from the people they tried to dupe? What I find funny is that the same mondli makhanya of david bullard fame is the one who expects support from the people he allowed to be insulted by the rag he edited. In short, they made their bed so they should lie in it.Report Abuse
vicky
South Africans you still gonna know who ill*********eterate Zuma is. If you support this info Bill, The Guptas will soon be taking over everything and the Capital City will be changed to KwaZulu-Natal. Zuma must just step down before people sto ******ne him.Report Abuse