ANC advocates for independent media tribunal

THE ANC has stuck to its position that an independent body with no vested interests in politics and in the media should regulate the press.

ANC secretary-general Gwede Mantashe yesterday said while the ruling party's proposed Media Appeals Tribunal should be an independent body, Parliament should be allowed to play an oversight role over the regulation.

"What we are saying is that when we come up with a mechanism to regulate print media, it should be independent, but we should not exclude Parliament completely," he said.

Accompanied by Jessie Duarte, Mantashe made a submission to the press freedom commission on media regulation yesterday in Johannesburg.

The commission, which started with public hearings on Monday, will conclude today. Political parties, NGOs, academic institutions, the Public Protector, business community, individuals and religious bodies have been invited to make submissions.

Duarte argued that any sector that regulates itself cannot be objective. "We have to accept that a self-regulated system cannot be unbiased. We have to accept that," Duarte said.