Journalists may have to cover speech from restricted square

Media representatives watch proceedings in Parliament. Picture: GCIS

Journalists covering President Jacob Zuma’s State of the Nation address (Sona) on Thursday will have to do so from a restricted media square and they cannot leave during the event, unless they are escorted by security personnel, according to new arrangements.

The Press Gallery Association and representatives from the South African National Editors Forum were in a meeting late on Tuesday with secretary of Parliament Gengezi Mgidlana to get clarity on the matter.

Journalists feared the new rules would impede their work and hinder their role to relay what is happening in the House to the public.

Parliament fell foul of the Constitution when a signal jammer was used to prevent journalists in the media gallery from tweeting information during the 2015 address.

Asked about the new conditions, Deputy Speaker Lechesa Tsenoli said even he was not familiar with the concept of a media square. "There will be no restrictions to media doing their work around Parliament. I don’t know where the idea of a media square comes from. The only place I know where people will be quarantined is in the media bay because of the nature of that location," Tsenoli said.

He said he would ensure that the presiding officers take the matter up with Mgidlana.

"I don’t know who concocted this idea of a media square. What meaning you extract from this cannot be ascribed to Parliament. It would be ridiculous to suggest such restrictions in this time in history to put that forward as a strategy," he said.

DA chief whip John Steenhuisen wrote to Mgidlana, making clear his opposition to the arrangements, which he termed as "disproportionate and unnecessarily burdensome".

"The proposed plan will make it impossible for some journalists to access their offices and will effectively render the Marks Building off-limits to media. We are concerned that the movement of DA support staff might be similarly curtailed on the day of Sona, despite the assurances of yourself and other parliamentary officials," he said.

EFF spokesman Mbuyiseni Ndlozi urged reporters covering the Sona to be vigilant on the day and not to be complacent in the face of securitisation of the parliamentary precinct.