The South African National Editors’ Forum condemned on Monday the introduction of a Bill governing news coverage of important national buildings and institutions as constitutionally incompatible.
In a press statement issued on Monday, Sanef said the draft Key Points and Strategic Installations Bill of 2007, introduced to Parliament by the Safety and Security Ministry, violated constitutional rights to freedom of expression.
The forum said the 2007 draft law contained ”unacceptable provisions” that merely updated ”draconian” apartheid-era laws designed to prevent the gathering of news about strategic buildings and installations.
”The media restrictions are onerous. They state that it is an offence for any person ‘to furnish in any manner whatsoever any information relating to the security measures at a National Key Point or in respect of any incident that occurred there’ without authority.”
The penalties proposed for violating the Bill are to change from a fine of R10 000 and/or imprisonment of 10 years to a fine of R1-million and/or imprisonment for 20 years, said Sanef.
”Sanef declares that this law has no place in the new democratic South Africa because it restricts the free flow of information thus preventing the public from being informed and, as such, is a contravention of the media freedom and freedom of expression clause in the Constitution.”
Sanef condemned the law as affecting not only the media, but ordinary citizens.
It said the catch-22 feature of the Bill was that the public was not informed which buildings and institutions were designated as National Key Points.
This held a danger for example, for trade unions holding protest demonstrations outside buildings declared National Key Points, the statement read.
Comment from the Safety and Security Ministry was not immediately available. – Sapa