The Media Appeals Tribunal
Group: The Incredibles
Members:
Cassandra Nkomo
Buntu Ngcuka
Pamela Sandekela
Much controversy has surrounded the Media Appeals Tribunal (MAP) some newspapers have called it unconstitutional, because they believe that it goes against our Bill of rights since it limits the freedom of newspapers to express themselves and provide the public with thorough unbiased and informative information. Their publications would have to go along with the regulations Proposed by the MAP which means that they would avoid publishing articles that they would have to account for at a later stage. It’s safe to say that South Africa’s media industry has never had as big a shake-up as the recent proposal of the Media Appeals Tribunal. The lines have been drawn and there are clearly only two opposing sides on the matter – the political figures that are for it, and the journalists and editors of print media (which is the form of media to be largely affected by it) that are against it.
Over 36 of South Africa’s biggest editors and publishers signed a declaration against the MAT stating that it threatens free expression, while President Jacob Zuma questions the media, asking “is the media a mirror of South African society?” and instructing it to “seriously conduct an introspection and open a constructive debate about the role of this institution in a post Apartheid South Africa".
Shingirai Maparura states that “while media sees the MAT as the death of democracy, the Government asserts that the MAT is aimed at strengthening democracy”. The Government’s statement is a pure contradiction on the Bill of Rights it has set up itself as well as what the ANC fought so hard for during the Apartheid era: democracy in its true essence does not only begin and end with the country’s citizens electing a ruling party. It also includes complete freedom of expression for all, including the media, and complete transparency and a platform for the general public to criticize, approve and debate the actions of government officials. They do, after all, affect us, the people.
So what exactly do some of “the people” think of the MAT? “I think it’s a reflection of how dumb the people in government think we are,” says ZamaNdosi Cele, a fellow media student at the University. “They think we aren’t educated enough to see that, for example, when millions go missing, they are the ones responsible because they’ll be the ones buying cars worth R2 million, when there are still children that attend school under trees. Maybe it’s because young people aren’t interested anymore, and older people feel it is no concern of theirs but people need to wake up and smell the coffee.”
So are the most educated people, eligible to question such actions truly not interested, or do they feel they do not have a voice to speak? Check any random Facebook profiles of, say, 16 to 25 year olds and in the “Political” details section, you’re likely to find things like “Huh?”, “Not interested”, “What a load of bull”, “I find it all boring” or a blank space. “I think that people aren’t reaching out to the youth, even though we are the future of this country. No one cares to ask us how we feel, what we think. We are just told from a young age that all other [political] parties are evil and sometimes our parents don’t care either,” says Nothando Gina, who studies Political Sciences at the University.
Their publications would have to go along with the regulations Proposed by the MAP which means that they would avoid publishing articles that they would have to account for at a later stage. As a group we interviewed a couple of people regarding this matter and their views will be incorporated in this article.
We have heard how major publications and various individuals feel about this Tribunal but unfortunately the views of students, lecturers and professors in various fields have not been published. People who will have to be educated under restricted media and professors who will have to provide quality education under restricted media .
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