The private media’s tussle with the Minister of Communication Science and Technology, Pelonomi Venson-Moitoi over the controversial Media Practitioners Act is set to take a turn for the worse.
This follows a meeting held by private journalists and media representatives this week in which they resolved to lodge a court case against the government over the law.
The Media Institute of Southern Africa announced that it is at an advanced stage of lodging a court case against the controversial Media Practitioners Act following the meeting with media representatives.
The media advocacy organisation says it will soon engage the services of a lawyer who will lodge a case against the government.
While the meeting gave the NGO the go-ahead on the court case, those gathered further resolved to deprive implementation of the law of the required cooperation.
This follows advertisement of vacancies in the interim media council asking for members of the public to apply. Media practitioners and other activists in the communications sector were encouraged to give the media council the cold shoulder.
They further resolved to actively make the council unattractive to those who might have interests in volunteering to serve in the body.
Media practitioners were further told about the support form the Southern African Litigation Centre, which will help with advice and financial assistance towards the costs of the case. After the meeting, MISA’s Thapelo Ndlovu warned about the long campaign ahead.
"We are prepared to take this case as far as we can go," he promised.
Meanwhile, the Minister Venson-Moitoi has been touring the country attempting to win public support for the controversial law. The government media, and particularly BTV and the Daily News, has been giving the minister’s Kgotla meetings presidential coverage.
Mmegi Online
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