You're reading it here first.
Yesterday I broke the news RIGHT HERE that the eNews Channel (DStv 403) is working on a special hour long televised debate scheduled for next week on media freedom in South Africa, and now I can reveal that it will take place on Monday, 19 September at 10:30 to 11:30 on the eNews Channel and will be moderated by Iman Rappetti.
TV with Thinus can reveal that this very important debate will unpack the soon to be passed, highly controversial Protection of Information Bill that will infrige on the rights to information of all South Africans.
Editor: Under the new Protection of Information Bill that the ANC led government wants to push through parliament, ordinary South Africans - you reading this right here - may never hear about dodgy deals, what politicians do and are involved with.
Several stories that TV with Thinus has written in the past and exclusively broke thanks to sources (especially about the SABC, classified as a point of national interest) could, under the legislation if it is enforced, be illegal to write. Journalists and South African citizens could be jailed under these new draconian and highly controversal new secrecy laws.
I can reveal that the panel for the eNews Channel debate taking place on Monday (with several repeats next week throughout the week) will include Nic Dawes, editor of the Mail & Guardian, Mac Maharaj, presidential spokesperson, S'dumo Dlamini, Cosatu president and Kate Skinner repreenting the Freedom of Expression Institute (FXI).
Some of the organizations in the audience of this special eNews Channel debate will include Media Monitoring Africa, Daily Maverick, the Mail & Guardian, Right 2 Know, Women's Net, Gender and Media Southern Africa, the Treatment Action Campaign, Cosatu, as well as academics and media students from various universities.
The special eNews Channel debate on media freedom in South Africa will be broadcast on Monday 19 September at 10:30 with repeats next week on:
Tuesday: 22:30
Thursday: 09:30
Saturday: 12:30
Sunday: 21:30
