SONA Signal Jamming: Mahlobo should be summoned before Parliament to explain himself
29 September 2016
The DA welcomes today’s ruling by the Supreme Court of Appeal (SCA) that the jamming of telecommunications signals during the 2015 State of the Nation Address, as well as the cutting of the live television feed, was both unconstitutional and unlawful.
This is precisely the point of order I raised on the day when I pointed out that the signal jamming was a direct violation of the Constitution and the Bill of Rights. My sentiments were echoed by DA Leader, Mmusi Maimane MP, who said:
“We want South Africans to hear ideas. We want them to hear the state of the nation address. We simply cannot proceed unless that jamming device is disconnected.”
The SCA judgement is a significant victory for those of us who want to see Parliament do its job in an open and transparent way.