Anger as state readies bill to gag press, radio and TV

Do you consider the proposed legislative changes to be in good faith?

  • Yes

    Votes: 0 0.0%

  • No

    Votes: 25 92.6%

  • Unsure

    Votes: 2 7.4%
  • Total voters
    27
Sneeky

Sneeky

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Helen Suzman, a veteran campaigner for democracy and antiapartheid figurehead, said she was “devastated” to learn about the offending proposal.

Suzman said she was “absolutely against” the proposal, saying that if it became law it would be “the beginning of the end of a free press and its role of keeping the public informed”.

“It would lead to anything that is critical of government being censored.

“A free press is one of the basic requirements of a sustainable democracy. Once you start to give government or its agencies powers to hinder the access of the public to information, you immediately threaten democracy,” she said.

She noted that the apartheid government did not have general laws censoring the media except during states of emergency.
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:eek:
 
Almost there next year just "fix" the crime statistics then the rest of the world will think SA is safe and all will be good for 2010.
 
AWesome, so where are going to become just like every other african nation. Once again these morons in government will try anything to let them in a good light.
 
Angelo said:
You mean rotten.com?
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Have you ever been to rotten.com? Seems a worthy site for this government? Why are you so keen to run to a Zim future?

(and if this bill ever becomes law - that is what it would be)
 
Won't get it past John Welch

Sneeky said:
Oh dear
Read on, seems like a key clause has been omitted, how convenient.
http://www.businessday.co.za/articles/weekender.aspx?ID=BD4A249151
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They won't ever get this past John Welch or Vusi Pikoli. Parliament is the legislative
branch with the executive branch (NPA) seperated from them. Thus the ANC
can't write it's own laws and then enforce them. There is nothing the police will
be able to do to the website crimeexpo if the NPA indicates to them that they won't prosecute the owner for showing the victims of crime. The police will first ask
John Welch wether he will prosecute the owner or not, if John Welch indicates that
the law is unconstitutional then the police won't touch you. An example of this was
in Dec. 2005 where the minister of safety and security Nqakula was informed by
John Welch in person in his office (Welch) that the new firearms law is unconsitutional and that you can't expect people to relicense under a new law if the old law did not allow for such.

THE BOTTOMLINE
Instead of running around like of off-head chicken why don't BEELD , The Star, MG simply calmly pick up the phone
ask John Welch the Deputy director of public prosecutions wether or not he will enforce the law or any other law like the p.15 of
the ECA etc.

I have posted concerning this at length on my other posts.
 
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With a free press comes the responsibility to report the facts without bias. Unfortunately this responsibility is ignored in favour of ideological propaganda or sensationalism. Recently we have seen this with Reuters.

The problem is getting the balance right. If not you will either have state censorship or a press run by ideologues and vigilante journalism.
 
Angelo said:
You mean rotten.com?
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as usual an answer with no foresight or any intelligence which is actually an awesome insight into the mentality of the people who vehemently support this countries apathetic and corrupt goverment.

if the victory against apartheid has come to this(racist policies and rights abuse), then those who were fighting for 'freedom' and who are now in power are no different to the regime before. one devil for another.

truly pathetic, but this seems to be a common trend with those who represent and support the anc.

pity, you would think they would try prove the world wrong, but instead they are going to hide from the world what we all ready know. They're useless and they know it.
 
The bad news is that the people who have a large amount of influence on this Bill are the same people who should be sorting Telkom out.....
 
On seconds thoughts, after reading through News24, perhaps the media does need to be censored to protect us from utter garbage like this story: Los

Paris Hilton Bitten by Pet
Los Angeles - Paris Hilton got no love this week from her pet kinkajou Baby Luv - in fact, the racoon-like animal bit her. The heiress was not badly hurt but did visit a hospital emergency room to receive a tetanus shot.
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Well that's just breaking news!! I must tell everyone I know right this second!

News24 has this rubbish as a lead headline under their category of 'world news'. Thousands are being slaughtered in Darfur; the biggest democratic election the world has ever held is threatening to turn violent; and tens of thousand of people have just died in another tsunami. But did you hear that Paris was bitten by her pet?? OMW!

This world is sick.
 
THE BOTTOMLINE
Instead of running around like of off-head chicken why don't BEELD , The Star, MG simply calmly pick up the phone ask John Welch the Deputy director of public prosecutions wether or not he will enforce the law or any other law like the p.15 of the ECA etc.
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This straw seems very thin - John Welch? One lone voice standing in the wilderness - or what?
 
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