Sanef welcomes possible info bill clause

09 November 2011 - 19:18 By Sapa
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Image: Sunday Times

The possible inclusion of a public interest defence in the Protection of State Information Bill was welcomed by the SA National Editors' Forum (Sanef) on Wednesday.

"We look forward to further progress in ensuring that this bill is a democratic instrument for the management of sensitive information, rather than a tool to suppress the free exchange of information and ideas that is central to our constitutional dispensation," chairman Mondli Makhanya said.

Deputy President Kgalema Motlanthe discussed the controversial bill with Parliament's Press Gallery Association on Tuesday.

Motlanthe said a public interest defence clause could be added as a "meeting point", as long as it did not undermine the bill's purpose.

He sought to assure journalists the bill would not be "rammed through" Parliament.

Makhanya said Sanef and others had submitted to Parliament arguments that a public interest defence clause would not place journalists above the law.

It would "set out carefully defined grounds for disclosure of classified information" in certain circumstances. These circumstances included situations where evidence of significant incompetence, criminality, wrongdoing, abuse of authority or hypocrisy on the part of government officials was revealed.

"Of course it would be up to our courts to adjudicate whether disclosure by journalists or other citizens met these clear standards, or not," Makhanya said.

The ANC previously rejected calls for the inclusion of a public interest defence clause in the bill. As the bill stands, disclosing classified information is a crime punishable with prison sentences ranging from five to 25 years, depending on the level of classification and whether espionage is involved.

The bill was scheduled for debate in the National Assembly in September, but was temporarily withdrawn from the parliamentary programme at the last minute.

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