For two days all we heard from Milpark Hospital was how family members of Nelson Mandela arrived in droves. Hundreds, nay thousands, of words were churned out keeping us up to date on the state of journalists converging on a bridge. Not one word was issued describing how Mandela was doing. Why was the public draped in silence?

It turns out there was an information blackout because of a turf war. Who’s turf? What war?

What a comedy of errors. Straight after Madiba was hospitalised last Wednesday his foundation released a short statement, explaining that he had been admitted for “routine tests”. After he stayed in hospital for a second day, the whole world demanded answers. President Zuma then released a statement in absentia (he was, and still is, in Davos, Switzerland) asking everyone to remain calm. It had the opposite effect. Kgalema Motlanthe, Acting President when the president is off skiing and buying cheese, stepped in and held a press conference on Friday, after a full two days of keeping the general public in the dark, fearing the worst.

The fiasco is being blamed on the Department of Defence, who is responsible for the health of presidents and their predecessors (who knew?), as well as the Nelson Mandela Foundation, who could not communicate properly because they are bickering like children over “turf”. Reports suggest that the NMF and the Department of Defense could not come to an agreement on who should issue official statements on the health of Mandela, and what information those statements should contain.

When arguably the most important person in the country is in hospital, the public has a right to know what’s wrong. Regardless of tender bureaucratic egos. During the press conference, Mohlanthe apologised for the extended period of silence, conceeding that things could have been handled better.

This is perhaps the first solid test of the waters the South African press and public will be expected to navigate should Parliament succeed in passing yet another bill aimed at helping state departments to keep things to themselves.

[Source: timeslive]