This is of the comparison that attracted my attention very much.My concern is that,most African nations with dictatorship regime tendency,oppress the media fort their gains.If the so believed democratic regime such as South Africa can join the music of the Zimbabwe,Somali, Rwanda and othors, I have no doubt say that the democracy is just mask to the eyes of the mass.
South Africa: Censorship Likened to Zimbabwe's
By: Bekezela Phakathi
10 August 2010
Johannesburg — AS CALLS for the withdrawal of the controversial Protection of Information Bill mount, parallels between the bill and Zimbabwe's draconian media laws are being drawn.
In 2002, the Zimbabwean government passed the Access to Information and Privacy Act, effectively gagging the independent media. It contained two notorious sections limiting the content of what might be published, namely section 64, entitled "Abuse of freedom of expression", and section 80, entitled "Abuse of journalistic privilege".
The act also provided for up to two years in prison for the publication of "falsehoods".
As the opposition Movement for Democratic Change's challenge to the ruling Zanu (PF) grew more serious, many analysts saw the act as the government's attempt to crush the opposition and maintain control by presenting its own version of reality as the "truth". The media environment in Zimbabwe was polarised and scores of journalists were forced to flee the country, fearing torture and even death.
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Local and foreign media are criticizing South Africa's ruling African National Congress.
The Protection of Information Bill being discussed in Parliament will, if passed into law, restrict public access to government information. It will do so by classifying information and, as in Zimbabwe, allow for draconian punishments for those who tamper with "classified" information.
Any government information can be classified if its disclosure would be harmful to the "national interest", defined in broad terms that cover any government department. The national interest includes "all matters relating to the advancement of the public good" and also covers "the protection and preservation of all things owned or maintained for the public by the state". Parastatals such as Eskom could be removed from public scrutiny.
The Freedom of Expression Institute said the vast scope of the term "national interest" was "shocking". "Any action taken by the state could conceivably be justified as being in the national interest and hence classifiable," it said. Director Ayesha Kajee said it was not too soon to start drawing parallels between SA's intended law and Zimbabwe's act.
"The harsh penalties for publishing so-called classified information are worrying." The bill would spell the "death" of investigative journalism by intimidating journalists, just as Zimbabwe's act did, Ms Kajee said.
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A Zimbabwean media analyst in SA said parallels between the bill and Zimbabwe's act were clear. "Just as Zanu (PF) did, this is a very clear attempt to control the media. It's unacceptable and it spoils the beauty of democracy."
"This bill has been initiated by those in power who cannot take criticism from the media."
Savious Kwinika, a former Zimbabwean journalist who fled the country and now works in SA, said that, considering the links between Zanu (PF) and the African National Congress (ANC), "one cannot rule out that the ANC could have borrowed the idea (of the bill) from Zimbabwe".
Mr Kwinika said the bill was not healthy for democracy and SA should learn from the wrongs in Zimbabwe. "Journalists in Zimbabwe were tortured and some people were killed because of draconian laws. This bill in SA is cruel and could potentially scare away investors ... look at what happened in Zimbabwe," he said.
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