The SA government remained fully committed to the Constitution and had “no intention whatsoever” of doing anything that would undermine freedom of the media and of expression, Deputy President Kgalema Motlanthe said on Friday.
He was speaking at the start of a two-day indaba in Magaliesburg between the government and the SA National Editors’ Forum (Sanef) on media freedom and communication between government and the media.
The government’s draft Protection of Information Bill and the ruling ANC’s talk of a statutory print Media Appeals Tribunal has attracted criticism that media freedom is under threat in South Africa.
Motlanthe emphasised that there were checks and balances in the Constitution to prevent abuse of power by anyone in authority.
Sanef chairperson Mondli Makhanya said in his opening remarks that the media looked forward to constructive discussions with the government on these issues.
An open society
“As media our commitment is to a democratic South Africa and an open society with a free flow of information and exchange of ideas,” said Makhanya, who is also editor-in-chief of Avusa Media Newspapers.
Motlanthe said he was surprised that recent draft legislation has given the impression that government is threatening the freedom of the media, EWN reported.
The deputy president said the media and government are interdependent and need each other to function properly.
He said he remained committed to facilitating access of information to journalists, and open debate should not be construed as a threat to media freedom.
Among those attending the event are senior editors from media houses across the country, Cabinet ministers and other senior government officials, reported government news agency BuaNews.
The first day of the meeting was characterised by a jovial atmosphere with both parties joking about the proposed media tribunal and Protection of Information Bill, according to BuaNews.
Question
Motlanthe called on those attending the meeting to debate whether enough was being done to promote a free and democratic society. “Do the people have unfettered access to the means to express their opinions? Do our media reflect the life experience and aspirations of the people,” he questioned.
Sanef has previously met with government in meetings described as tense.
But Makhanya said that the media would continue to fulfil its role as “watchdogs” while engaging in robust debate about what was best for South Africa. “We must accept that there will be difference, we will have tensions now and then but that does not lead to hostility,” he said.
He added that journalists would continue to fight against what they perceived to be threats to media freedom in a democratic society.
The ANC plans to create a media tribunal whose members would be appointed by the government and would have the power to punish breaches of journalistic ethics. If created, the tribunal would usurp the existing system of self-regulation, press freedom organisation Reporters Without Borders said in a recent press statement, summarising the controversial impasse.
In the hands of the authorities
Led by President Zuma, officials insist that their intention is to protect the public against media abuses. But in the hands of the authorities and the ANC, such a tribunal would jeopardise the media independence that is guaranteed by the 1994 constitution, said the organisation.
The bill would classify information that could endanger national security and make publication of such information punishable by up to 25 years in prison. The possibility that journalists could be jailed because of their work, the length of the sentences they could face and the failure to clearly define what is meant by “national security” have been raised as matters of serious concern.
The proposed law could end up making investigative journalism impossible or even illegal. Reporters Without Borders fears that journalists would no longer be able to investigate sensitive stories, such as corruption scandals, for fear of being jailed. — Sapa and M&G