(MISA/IFEX) – On 19 July 2006, the Swazi Parliament rejected a planned move by the government to impose a law to regulate the proposed Media Complaints Commission (MCC). This follows a recent threat by the Minister for Public Service and Information, Themba Msibi, that his ministry would soon table a bill in Parliament enabling it […]
(MISA/IFEX) – On 19 July 2006, the Swazi Parliament rejected a planned move by the government to impose a law to regulate the proposed Media Complaints Commission (MCC).
This follows a recent threat by the Minister for Public Service and Information, Themba Msibi, that his ministry would soon table a bill in Parliament enabling it to impose the MCC, since the media had delayed in setting up the self-regulatory body.
However, the Portfolio Committee of the Public Service and Information Ministry has warned the ministry against piloting such a law.
In its report to Parliament submitted on 19 July, the committee felt that despite the 10-year delay in setting up the MCC, the media should still be allowed to establish the MCC on their own without government’s threats or interference, as per the recently adopted government media policy and the country’s constitution.
The committee felt the media stakeholders have agreed in principle to put the MCC in place very soon and therefore should be allowed to do so.
“It is the finding of the Committee that piloting a new bill (to force through the MCC) would be premature at this stage since a majority of journalists and media owners have agreed in principle to the concept of the MCC. Such a bill, if piloted, is likely to suffer the same fate as the Media Council Bill of 1997 which was rejected as being draconian and a threat to press freedom,” the committee stated in its report.
“The Committee recommends that there should be a final round of consultation involving the Portfolio Committee, whereby stakeholders such as the Swaziland National Association of Journalists (SNAJ), Editors Forum, Media Institute of Southern Africa (MISA) Swaziland and media owners be given an ultimatum to launch the MCC. Furthermore, be warned about the possibility and consequences of reviving the Media Council Bill,” the committee added.