SABC loses second appeal bid against M&G ruling

1 Jun 2011 11:32

Published in Biz Community

NEWSWATCH: The SABC will now have to broadcast a summary of the BCCSA’s ruling against it and in favour of the Mail & Guardian – and do it on prime time television, nogal, reports the paper. In the Protection of Information Bill issue, Right2Know has welcomed Cosatu’s opposition to the controversial bill, reports Times Live.

For more:

* Mail & Guardian: SABC thwarted in bid to appeal M&G ruling… This is going to hurt. The SABC has lost its second bid to appeal the BCCSA ruling that it had broadcast “unsubstantiated” claims of corruption and racism that businessman Robert Gumede had levelled against the newspaper’s investigative journalist Sam Sole. Moreover, the SABC had failed to give the M&G, and Sole in particular, an adequate opportunity to reply. So the SABC has to broadcast a summary of the ruling during the first 12 minutes of its prime-time 7pm SABC3 television news bulletin.

* Times Live: Right2Know backs Cosatu’s opposition to info bill… Yesterday, Cosatu said it would launch a court challenge against the bill if it were passed without changes. The organisation says this would be to ensure transparency and to protect whistle-blowers.

The organisation’s stance has been welcomed by the Right2Know campaign.

Surely the ANC must realise… somewhere along the line… that unless changes are made, and possibly even then, the bill will face court challenges? That should be clear to even the bill’s most ardent advocates.

Source: Biz Community