“There will be no effort to curb media freedom. That will not happen,” Pahad said.

Pahad made his comments when closing the debate o­n the budget vote of the Government Communication and Information System.

He stressed that it would have been wrong for the executive to interfere with the legislature, and that the process of public hearings by Parliament’s home affairs portfolio committee would have to take their course. The committee would make a recommendation to Parliament.

“It behoves members of the committee to ensure that a proper decision is made,” Pahad said.

The minister pointed out that it was o­nly the Constitutional Court that could decide whether the proposed amendment was unconstitutional.

Democratic Alliance (DA) communications spokesman Dene Smuts slammed the proposed amendments as worse than “apartheid censorship” in a speech read o­n her behalf by DA MP Sandy Kalyan.

African Christian Democratic Party (ACDP) MP Steve Swart also expressed deep concern about the proposals.

“We believe that the proposed amendments to the act will amount to prepublication state censorship of all printed media and broadcast material,” Swart told Parliament.

“This will severely restrict the media from being able to report o­n news items dealing with child abuse, rape and indecent assault, declarations or threats of war, statements amounting to propaganda for war, violent demonstrations, unrest incidents, racial incidents, domestic violence and criminal activity,” Swart said.

“While the ACDP thus fully appreciates and supports the concerns of society regarding the scourge of pornography, we believe that to censor the press and broadcasters in this very radical and unprecedented manner is not the answer.”

The Films and Publications Amendment Bill is designed to crack down o­n child pornography and abuse, but media industry players and watchdogs say that the legislation could lead to strict censorship of the press.