Protection of Information Bill, a story about a special kind of divorce

As any divorcee will tell you, falling out of love sucks. You understand that life as you know it is about to come to an end. It is how most journalists feel when they read the proposed Protection of Information Bill. So we have to ask, how did it come to this? How did it happen?

By Stephen Grootes: @StephenGrootes

27 Jul 2010

The fact is that many journalists will tell you it's come as quite a surprise to find that this draft is so much worse, so much more draconian than the one that emerged during the Mbeki era. Since Polokwane, there's been much more political openness, much more of a role for the press, and simply much more interaction between the media and politicians. President Jacob Zuma's ANC administration has been about charming the pants off the media, rather than trying to shut it up.

...At the very core of this new bill is the very same approach that ended with the ANC national working committee deciding it could press charges against Zwelinzima Vavi. It is about a group of hard-core politicians who are not interested in playing the game anymore. They have the power and it is about time they scorch some earth.

Read the full article on www.thedailymaverick.co.za.

Source: Daily Maverick

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