regulation
regulation
Zim Cracks Down on Newspapers
The Zimbabwe Media Commission (ZMC) has warned that several top South African publications circulating in Zimbabwe could face a ban, along with the UK-published Zimbabwean, unless they register their operations.
ZMC head, Godfrey Majonga, points out that, "None of the publications or their journalists appears on our registers and we are very concerned at this development."
Majonga has been quoted as saying that the ZMC has resolved to appeal to the relevant law enforcement authorities to bar affected newspapers from entrance into and circulation within Zimbabwe, until they comply with Zimbabwe's laws.
To read the article titled, “Zimbabwe cracks down on SA, UK newspapers,” click here.Source:Mail & GuardianGovt Pushes for Environmental Compliance
The Department of Environmental Affairs is amending the National Environmental Management Act so that it could take the same enforcement action against state-owned enterprises as it did against private companies.
The department states that the amendment will enable criminal prosecutions to be brought against organs of state, in line with the constitutional principle that all people and entities are equal before the law.
In its national environmental compliance and enforcement report for the 2010-11 financial year, the department found that both Eskom and the South African National Roads Authority have contravened environmental legislation in the 2010-11 financial year.
To read the article titled, “New bid to subject state-owned enterprises to green laws,” click here.Source:Business DayICASA to Rule on TopTV Porn Channels
The South Gauteng High Court has ruled that TopTV may not broadcast pornography channels without the permission of the Independent Communications Authority of South Africa (ICASA).
ICASA brought an interdict application before Judge Ndawuyake Tshabalala last week, hoping to delay the independent broadcaster's launch.
The dispute relates to ICASA’s subscription broadcasting services regulations, specifically paragraphs 3.5 and 3.6, which stipulate that ICASA must authorise or refuse applications for additional channels to be added to an existing bouquet within 60 days.
To read the article titled, “Court leaves ICASA to rule on TopTV’s porn channels,” click here.Source:Mail & GuardianICASA Takes TopTV to Court
The Independent Communications Authority of South Africa (ICASA) has filed for an urgent court interdict to stop pay TV operator, TopTV, from pushing through its porn plans until ICASA has held a public hearing.
ICASA, in charge of regulating South Africa's broadcasting industry including pay TV operators, threatened that it will take TopTV to court to prevent the pay TV operator from unilaterally starting a new stand-alone pornographic package for which it has no approval certificate.
Meanwhile, the channel has made an ‘application for authorisation’ to ICASA to broadcast hardcore pornography as a new separate porn package, and the pay TV operator says according to how it is interpreting the regulations, TopTV has a right to broadcast the new channels.
To read the article titled, “ICASA to take TopTV to court,” click here.Source:Channel24Minister to Can Broadcasting Bill
Communications Minister, Roy Padayachie, has told civil society bodies and the Congress of South African Trade Unions that he is committed to scrapping the controversial Public Service Broadcasting Bill and initiating a review process which will start from scratch with public consultation.
Padayachie’s comments come after the Democratic Alliance’s appeal to the minister not to hold discussions on the existing bill, which never went through a white paper process or having involved any public consultation.
In the same vein, SOS: Support Public Broadcasting spokesperson, Kate Skinner, who met the Minister last week, has been quoted as saying that, "The minister has said a white paper on the broadcast review process will be produced and then new legislation will be drafted."
To read the article titled, “Minister vows to can broadcasting bill,” click here.Source:Business DaySABC, DoC, ICASA Present Strategy Plans to Parliament
The Department of Communications, the South African Broadcasting Cooperation (SABC) and the Independent Communications Authority of South Africa (ICASA) have presented strategy plans to Parliament's portfolio committee on communications to resolve outstanding issues ahead of a budget vote.
The DOC has a budget vote coming up and the portfolio committee wants to finalise their financial plans and organisational structures. But today's presentations did not go the way it had hoped. The DOC added two more branches to its structure but did not present its financial plan.
Last month, the three agencies made presentations in Parliament together with signal distributor, Sentech. However, ICASA, SABC and the department were told to go back and rework their plans.
The Parliament's Portfolio Committee on Communications has accused the SABC, ICASA, the Communications Department and Parliament's Portfolio Committee on Communications of not taking them seriously.
To read the article titled, “SABC, DoC, ICASA present strategy plans to parly,” click here.Source:SABC NewsMozambican Governor Threatens to Expel NGOs
The governor of Mozambique’s central province of Zambezia has threatened to expel foreign NGOs that are operating ‘illegally’ in the region.
Governor Itae Meque accuses these NGOs for failing to provide information to the relevant authorities concerning their activities.
Meque argues that most of these NGOs enter the country and begin working in communities, but fail to improve the living standards.
Meque’s claims are supported by the Forum of Non-Governmental Organisations in Zambezia, which says that over 10 national and foreign NGOs have been found working illegally under the cover of religious organisations, with funds granted by donors.
To read the article titled, “Governor of Zambezia threatens to take action over unregistered NGOs," click here.Source:All AfricaUS Rights Report Sees Concern in NGO Law
The United States of America has issued its annual Human Rights Report, voicing concern among other things, about an impending law to regulate NGOs.
US assistant secretary of state, Michael Posner, says the law will make it harder for civil society to operate and could run counter to the nation’s constitution.
Posner says Cambodia is among some 90 other countries that have adopted laws or regulations that will potentially curtail rights of civic organisations.
“It is, to me, in some ways emblematic of this trend that I talked about, where governments are not happy with their critics, and so they decide to make it difficult or impossible for them to operate,” explains Posner.
To read the article titled, “US rights report sees concern in NGO law,” click here.Source:VOA NewsIran Proposes Bill that Limits NGO Activity
The Iranian parliament has been urged to scrap draft legislation that would place restrictions on the independence of NGOs.
According to Amnesty International, the law would require that all NGOs operating in the country register with ‘a new and unaccountable body’ that has links with the Intelligence Ministry and the Basij volunteer paramilitary force.
Amnesty International’s Middle East and North Africa Programme deputy director, Hadj Sahraoui, says the bill could herald ‘the death knell for civil society’ in that country. Sahraoui further states that, "This bill will set back civil society in Iran and represents yet another nail in the coffin of the right to freedom of association in the country."
To read the article titled, “Iran proposes bill that limits NGO activity,” click here.Source:Charities Aid FoundationO'Regan Urges Media Not to be Complacent
Former Constitutional Court, Judge Kate O'Regan, has warned that the media need to be reflexive in applying their important role in keeping society democratic, and that the judicial landscape is working to ensure their freedom.
Speaking at the opening of the Regulations and Rights conference at the University of the Witwatersrand in Johannesburg, O'Regan warned that media needs to wield its power carefully.
"Democracies are noisy places because of freedom of expression, whereas authoritarian societies are silent. What is slightly disconcerting about South Africa is we get worried by how noisy we are," she explains.
To read the article titled, “The media cannot, and should not, be complacent,” click here.Source:Mail&Guardian
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