Black tuesday in South Africa- Mandela's democracy to be voted out by ANC

[!Kaggen]

Wish us luck chaps.

One step forward towards freedom 100 steps backwards towards facism.

The African National Congress (ANC) says it needs to update apartheid-era legislation safeguarding "valuable information by all organs of state", and has been emboldened by the revelations of wrongdoing at the News of the World and the crisis of press regulation in Britain.

But opposition parties, civil society groups and the media warn of an existential threat to freedom of expression, a pillar of the progressive constitution drawn up under the then president, Nelson Mandela. The Congress of South African Trade Unions, usually an ANC ally, claims the bill puts too much power in the hands of government. An editorial in the bestselling Sunday Times said: "The South African public will be deprived of the vital oxygen of free information."

http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/201...y-protests-south-africa-secrecy?newsfeed=true

 

[!Kaggen]

South African MPs have overwhelmingly approved a controversial media bill despite widespread criticism of it.

Nobel Peace laureate Archbishop Desmond Tutu called it "insulting" and warned it could be used to outlaw "whistle-blowing and investigative journalism".

South African journalists wearing black have staged a protest against the so-called "secrecy bill" outside the headquarters of the governing ANC.

The ANC says the law will safeguard state secrets and national security.

The African National Congress has a two-thirds majority in 400-seat National Assembly - and the bill passed with 229 votes to 107, with two MPs choosing not to vote.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-15822105

Why is this a problem...

What is in the 'secrecy bill'?

The bill would give the state the power to classify documents as secret in the "national interest"

"National interest" defined very broadly, critics say, and could include reports about government corruption and human rights abuses

Jail terms of up to 25 years for anyone in possession of classified documents or harbouring state secrets

No public interest clause

Citizens and journalists treated as foreign spies if found in possession of information deemed a state secret

 

[funk de fino]

Seems a bit draconian on first reading of the pieces. How does it stand up to similar laws in other countries?

I tend to not have much time for journos on the whole so to see opposition from others like Tutu is more meaningful to me.

You think Zuma will sign it?

 

[WildCat]

You think Zuma will sign it?

Yep.

 

[funk de fino]

Yep.

That doesn't say what you think it says?

 

[WildCat]

That doesn't say what you think it says?

I'm not sure how it works in SA, does he have to sign it if it passes with such an overwhelming majority? I saw nothing that said he opposed it.

 

[funk de fino]

I'm not sure how it works in SA, does he have to sign it if it passes with such an overwhelming majority? I saw nothing that said he opposed it.

From the BBC link in the second post.

The bill has still to be passed by the upper house - likely to happen next year - and signed by the president before becoming law.

So a delay for the upper house then he can sign it. Haven't seen anything that says he will or won't yet.

Knowing him he probably will.