Sanef wants Mbeki to wait

2008-09-07 23:22

Johannesburg - An urgent written submission will be made to President Thabo Mbeki over his signing of the Films and Publication Amendment Bill into law, the South African National Editors' Forum (Sanef) resolved on Sunday.

The resolution was made during the forum's council meeting in Grahamstown at the weekend.

"Sanef believes that [the] Bill will not pass the constitutional test and resolved to ask President Mbeki to refer it to the Constitutional Court," it said in a statement.

The council said it would continue with its efforts to lobby for the appointment of an independent SABC board.

"Sanef also calls for a public and transparent selection process for the appointment of an interim SABC Board equivalent to the way the standard board is appointed," the statement read.

It said it was important for the SABC to serve its role as a public broadcaster without political interference in its programming or news, particularly in the run up to the elections.

- SAPA