It’s also very helpful to declare that god’s undeniably on your side. It makes it easy to silence your opponents and critics. Just accuse them of waging war on god and let fear and stupidity do the rest.
Now they’re mooting the addition of a Protection from Harassment Bill that will in effect criminalise some of the standard work practices of journalists, and could further inhibit media freedom as a perhaps unintended consequence. There’s a clear difference between a journalist harassing politicians for answers which the public is entitled to and a stalker who haunts another person because of psychological problems or for personal gain – or, for that matter, the borderline stalking activities of telemarketers and salespeople.
the ANC is completely losing the plot. they are like the seagulls in fiding nemo. Mine! Mine! Mine!
the more they can get away with, the more fingers they want in pies. quite sad actually.
It’s a control psychosis…the people (whoever they may be ???) must be protected (read 'they can’t think for themselves (wtf!!)). It has been the pattern in virtually every totalitarian state; the press and freedom of association are the first targets. Watch this space! >:(
that quote is on the money!..there’s no such thing as a good government…Buthelezi (yes him) once told me they learned well from the white government… (wtf!!)
The proposed Media Appeals Tribunal appears to have been shelved for now, probably because of the international outcry it provoked. However, the Protection of Information Bill and the Secrecy Act are still on the table.
If I’m not mistaken, this still has to survive the constitutional court.
Of course, the ANC managed to convince a clear majority that this should be legislated, so I don’t see them having trouble getting it amended to the constitution. At which point I’ll start to feel forced to do the unthinkable, and leave this place.
If this seems like the typical overreaction to you, I apologise, but freedom of speech is one of those things I hold very dear and critical to my personal freedom.
Amendments to the constitiution require a 2/3 majority which the ANC don’t have anymore (and probably will never have again) so, yes, they will have trouble amending the constitution.
The essential problem is that far too few people seem to realise, either due to naiveté or apathy (or possibly both), just how significant a threat to liberal democratic principles this Bill actually is. In this setting, a free press is the only effective handbrake on government and business abuses against the people. It is no overstatement to say that this Bill is to date by far the gravest peril SA’s democracy has faced, and that in its present form it paves the way for all sorts of ever more restrictive measures.
