Finance Minister Pravin Gordhan will present the budget speech to Parliament on
22 February 2012, at 14h00. Journalists will be given prior access to the documents in a media lock-up under police surveillance.
The lock-ups will take place in Cape Town and Pretoria. Please note that leaks during the embargo are taken seriously and those found guilty may face severe consequences. Therefore the responsibility to ensure that the embargo is not broken is on journalists and editors. The information contained in the documents can only be published/aired once the embargo is lifted.
Lock-up arrangements
Cape Town: 100 Plein Street Building for PGA members and Imbizo media centre for non-members
Time: 06h00
Pretoria: National Treasury Offices, 40 Church Square, ground floor
Time: 08h00
Journalists must confirm their attendance and details by no later than Thursday,
13 February 2012. To confirm attendance please email details to sinombulelo.mlisa@treasury.gov.za. Please indicate if you will be attending the Pretoria or Cape Town lock up.
A media conference to be addressed by the Finance Minister is scheduled for 10h30 (Imbizo media centre, 120 Plein Street, Cape Town). Journalists will be escorted to the venue.
For access to Parliament for the speech and to broadcast from the Parliamentary precinct please send your details to erandall@parliament.gov.za
The lock-up will end when Finance Minister Pravin Gordhan starts his address in Parliament.
Please Note
- As no communication of any nature either by telephone, e-mail or any other means is allowed during the lock-up, we recommend that journalists who will not be working on the budget story, work from elsewhere.
- All office doors are to remain open at all times (PGA media).
- Stories can be transmitted to Editors only from 13h00 (with full observation of the embargo).
- Cell phones are to be switched off, placed in an envelope and handed over to National Treasury officials.
- E-mails cannot be sent during the lock-up; landline telephones must be off the hook and should not be used under any circumstances.
- You cannot use any device that can send out any form of communication;
- Nobody will be allowed to leave the lock-up before the embargo is lifted.
Please further indicate in your confirmation e-mail if you would be attending the workshop that will be held on 20 February 2012, 09h00 to 12h00, at the Imbizo media centre, 120 Plein Street, CTN.
Note that the workshop might be cancelled on short notice should confirmations received be less than 10 people.
