Journalists Applaud Passing Of Media Bills

This article was last updated on May 25, 2022

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South Sudan among East African states has been lucky with the media bill that could protect the Journalists at their working places.

However, the National Parliament on Monday passed the two media bills, many journalists in South Sudan are still in fear that the security personnel led by will still harbour a war mentality against the media in the country.

Alor Deng Khor, a journalist who works at South Sudan Radio and a chairperson for the Union of Journalists of South Sudan (UJOSS) in Wau said that it will be good if security personnel could understand and implement the contents in the media bill and allow freedom of expression to the journalists working in the country.

“Our worry is that the securities will not respect the bill because arbitration is what many journalists in South Sudan have undergone,” he said.

“It is really with a pleasure that South Sudan National Assembly has yesterday passed the media bills, this is what our journalists were looking for in South Sudan we only it will be good if our government will not make this bills like the other bills which were being passed in this country without implementation,” said Akene a freelance journalist in Wau.

He said that the government should be sure that these bills are useful in the country regarding the protection of the Media performance.

“As a journalist, am very delighted to have my rights of expression in these bill, this is a chance for all journalists in the country to be free from security’s hands, we were been targeted by the security in our own country like criminals,” said Juleit Luka Madria a journalist working for South Sudan Television (SSTV) in Wau .

Madria also advised the journalists who are working in the country to work within the media laws.

Meanwhile Sergiou Pons Ukola who works for Voice of Hope, Catholic Radio Network in Wau calls on the South Sudan media partners like AMDISS and JICA to intensify a constitutional dialogue across the country with the journalist to enlighten the journalists about the content of the two bills.

South Sudan became the 11th country in Africa that has successfully passed its entire media bills.

Activists lauded the legislation describing it an “achievement” however, called for mass education of the public about the bills.

The Media Authority and Access to Information Bills have been passed by the parliament on Monday with the Broadcasting Bill having been passed last month.

Several MPs have spared no compromise with any article that supports protection journalists.

“They either conform to the law or face it. Any way what is so special with them,” Hon. Michael Makwei the Minister of Parliamentary Affairs said during his discussion of the bills.

Speaker Wani Igga said the passing marks achievement of the parliament in the Country’s second year following its independence.

Hon. Joy Kwaje Elujai, the Chairperson of the Committee of Information, Telecommunication and Culture who presented the bills in the parliament in their third reading said the passing of the bills indicates South Sudan another step to democracy.