Article two

The protection of information bill is perhaps the most controversial political issue in South Africa at the moment. The consequences of the bill if it is passed could see a complete reform of the media and its rights of freedom of expression and speech. The bill has been hailed as many as a tool of the ANC to control the media and regulate the influence that the media has on the prospective voters. Helen Ziller, leader of the Democratic Alliance, hailed the proposed bill as a, “mask for corruption,” ¹ this view is shared by many academics in society. Jamiel Hoosen (25), a bachelor of social science graduate with history honours, believes that the bill is, “a smokescreen for the government to hide behind.” ²

The proposed bill seeks to set up a media tribunal that will regulate all forms of media for content that is harmful to national security or harmful to the personal life of anyone involved. This may seem as a noble intention, however the proposed bill does not specify the limits of the tribunal and in theory any piece of media that is published can be labelled as private or as a threat to national security despite its content. Hoosen believes that , “ The bill may prove to strengthen the democracy of the country by respecting an individuals right to privacy,” and that society voted for the government and therefore, “ We voted for our government so lets trust them.” ² This view may seem naïve yet it shows that there are many contradicting views with regards to the bill and that both society and government need to be careful as the bill moves onto its final stages.

1. Chauke, Phindile, 2010. Zille: Media tribunal a tool to mask corruption - Mail & Guardian Online: The smart news source. Mail and Guardian online. Available at: http://www.mg.co.za/article/2010-09-18-zille-media-tribunal-a-tool-to-mask-corruption [Accessed October 18, 2010].
   
2. Hoosen, Jamiel (25), Bachelor of Social Science with honours in English and History, graduate from University of KwaZulu Natal 2006.