Committee welcomes public inputs into Films and Publications Amendment Bill
The Portfolio Committee on Communications has welcomed inputs into the Films and Publications Amendment Bill, received during the two-day (30-31 August 2016) public hearings.
“We are satisfied with the volume and the level of quality of presentations from the interested organisations. Now the Committee will meet with the department to deliberate on the proposed amendments,” said Mr Humphrey Maxegwana, Committee Chairperson.
Twenty organisations made presentations to the Committee and, among others, were: the South African Broadcasting Corporation, e-tv, South African Communication Forum, Cause for Justice, Right2Know, Internet Service Providers’ Association, South African National Editors’ Forum, South African Jewish Board of Deputies, National Association of Broadcasters, Google South Africa and Association of Christian Media.
Some of the proposed amendments, among other things, were that the Bill should include regulation of online media, the word pornography should be replaced by sexual abuse material as well as clear regulation of hate speech on social media. The South African National Editors’ Forum proposed that Section 87 of the Bill be deleted altogether.
Mr Maxegwana thanked all stakeholders who participated in the public hearings and said they are welcome to attend the next Committee meeting to observe how their inputs will be processed.
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