SANEF STATEMENT ON THE INFO BILL

The SA National Editors' Forum is deeply concerned by reports on deliberations by Parliament's Ad Hoc Committee on the Protection of Information Bill that ANC MPs have signalled they will refuse provision for a public interest defence should classified information be published.

It is not only journalists and media organisations who have called for the inclusion of this defence in the Bill but also eminent lawyers, legal institutions and a broad array of civil society organisations, including organised labour and activists from poor communities.

A public interest defence is not carte blanche to publish, it is carefully limited to exposing corruption, gross mismanagement and violations of the law and human rights.

Sanef rejects the contention by the ANC MP and committee member, Luwellyn Landers that such a defence would place journalists above the law. It would apply not only to journalists but to any citizen making such information available in the public interest and in particular, to whistle blowers.

Good work has been done by activists and by MPs to improve this draft legislation, but without a public interest defence it will be an anti-democratic and unconstitutional law.

Statement issued by Mondli Makhanya, Sanef chairman, Gaye Davis, Sanef secretary-general and Raymond Louw, Deputy Chairman, Sanef Media Freedom Committee, August 31 2011

Click here to sign up to receive our free daily headline email newsletter