if the ruling party wants this to drag along indefinitely, they will make sure of it.
The ConCourt, being part of an independent judiciary, will tolerate only so much prevarication from any party to a case. Too much prevarication risks a default judgement being issued against the prevaricator(s). This independence is also constitutionally enshrined.
'Luthon64
And the ANC’s spindoctoring shenanigans commence in earnest! Dare one hope that these moves are the incipient stages of a serious rethink – or maybe even backpedalling? That would be nice.
'Luthon64
dont you just love these spindoctors. saying so much, but never really getting to a point. they must have a big word roulette program on their laptops, spewing out random important sounding vocab, that they askhully dont even know wtf they are saying.
gotta luv it.
i said to boogie and steve last night, i wonder what this little media hub-bub is hiding? i find, that usually when the media’s attention is being pointed in one direction by some incredulous nonsense, there is something more evil afoot. since the malema genie has been used up, they need something else.
surely, the dudes that wrote that bill, bot direction from higher up, and surely, even if you managed to work your corrupt ass all the way to the top, you will know that a bill like this will never get passed? its just to controversial.
so, what are they hiding?
The government is concerned about negative foreign coverage of its perceived attempts to place restrictions on the press and is seeking to meet senior editors to discuss clashing views on its plans, government spokesperson Themba Maseko said on Thursday.Awesome to negative foreign coverage!!!
I suspect government is getting concerned that the bill will have the unintended consequence of earning it more negative publicity than what it suppresses. A political party can ill afford having too many enemies in the press.
Resistance to the ANC’s proposals continues to mount in various quarters:
Tomorrow (Tuesday 24/08) at 21:30 the ANC’s proposals will be discussed on e.tv’s 3rd Degree programme. It’s a near certainty that sparks will fly.
The General Council of the Bar (GCB) calls Secrecy Bill “unconstitutional.”
UCT’s vice-chancellor rejects Protection of Information Bill because it will stifle research.
Cosatu gives only restricted support.
Cape Chamber of Commerce rejects PIB because it will inhibit weeding out corruption in the public service.
Several renowned SA writers unconditionally reject the ANC’s proposals.
Meanwhile, JZ and the ANC continue to make funny noises that are supposed to convince everyone that they are very much concerned about people’s rights.
'Luthon64
i wonder if they realized what a shit-storm they were creating?
thank goodness for reason.
Here’s a taste of the kind of results that may well become commonplace if the ANC’s media proposals are passed into law.
'Luthon64
And thank reason for goodness 
I actually get a little irritated when things like this land up in my inbox - but hey, I suppose it can’t hurt…
Dear all,The proposed Media Appeals Tribunal and the Protection of Information Bill will erode our hard won democracy and severely limit our right to know what the government of the day is up to.
Please sign the petition to the President at:
http://www.petitiononline.com/mod_perl/signed.cgi?MFSA
Please circulate to others. Thousands of signatures are needed.
i actually think i signed that one…
seriously though, if one wants to have your voice heard, how do go about getting a petition going, that will actually reach the relevant person (as if it wil make an iota of dofference)
One of the coolest (and most influential) petition sites on the web I’ve seen Avaaz: http://www.avaaz.org/en
Although I have to mention that when the Dalai Lama was denied a SA visa, they ran a petition and had zero effect. They do, however, seem to be more influential at global “summits” and the like.
(and, of course, they pick the cause, not you)
i only gained intelligence post apardheid, so i have heard of this thing called a referendum.
now as i understand, and i may be horribly wrong, that the government of the time had one to decide if mandela was to go free, or have free elections, or whatever the case.
why is it then, now, that the public has zero say anymore about what happens in the country?
surely, something like this, should have public input. the public is being hogtied and stuffed a spin doctored apple in the mouth, and they still do what they hell ever they please.
and you can vote for your canditate, but after that, he does what he pleases, and he is not held acocuntable by the people who put him there. nobobdy answers for promises left stagnant.
what kind of action does the public need to partake in, to get back control OF THEIR OWN COUNTRY?
it’s called democracy…one wo/man; one vote; once only! >:( Seriously though, the government of the day IS accountable to the voters but they ignore their responsibility and try their best to lie their way through the next election…it’s all about bums in parliamentary plush seats. The current proportional vote is laugable though as no-one is asked to report back like in the old apartheid days when MP’s represented a particular area/precinct and when shit hits the fan that MP is obliged to come back and face the people who voted for him/her: Now they go to a National Conference of the ANC or whatever and the reps there vote for a leader(s) and the rest of us are stuck with them. My ANC friends say “get involved” “make a difference” but no ways am I going to dance like a puppet on a broken rubber condom!
i would get involved, but i have about as much political sway as said broken condom.
and seriously now, whose gonna listen to another white woman yapping?
if there is someone who i can back, not zille mind, then i will be there and ready to rock and roll.
maybe, and im thumbsucking here, we are progressing back to the pre-freedom violence. unhappy people burning shit and making noise.
people are not happy. and it shows.
maybe, and this is horrible, we need some violence, some people violently taken off the throne, to bring things back to balance.
oh hell, that propably wont work either, coz power corrupts, and we will be back to square one soon enough.
I have a suspicion that the ANC’s proposals re the media also derive in no small part from a cultural perspective that is inimical to democratic principles. In many traditional African cultures, tribal leaders were seen as unassailable. That is, they wielded power such that their decisions and pronouncements were not to be challenged or criticised on pain of severe punishment. Respect for them was unconditional and they of course expected and enforced this. The ANC’s upper echelons seem to want this culture to carry over into a liberal, constitutional democracy so that they will be the objects of reverence, praise and adulation that tribal leaders were and in some instances still are. Obviously, a free press threatens this desire because it facilitates virtually unrestrained criticism and exposure of weaknesses, failings and deficiencies of our leaders. This perspective, I think, is why the ANC mouthpieces keep harping on “the individual’s right to dignity” and “the media’s failings” in defence of their proposals.
If there is any substance to the above, the upshot would be that the ANC either places traditions above democratic principles, or it has forgotten what “democracy” means, and possibly both.
'Luthon64
Tell me why? I feel the same, and am interested in your opinion.
simply coz she is the obvious choice, and people will oppose her simply cause she is the obvious choice. she has stepped on toes, and, in general, i have total love for her, she kicks ass, but because she is white, and female, she wont get the kind of support for the DA, if she was of colour, and a male. and that is a total anti-feminist feeling, but unfortunately, one has to see where the polical river flows. now is not the time to be radical, and try and go for the morally correct candidate. the DA needs a strong canditate, of colour.
Or someone, say like Hlomelo Biko, who is on our board of advisors, he should take a stand. his dad was killed by the police, so he should have a very strong voice amongst the people.
i think though, that the clever people try and steer clear of politics.
'Luthon64