The TV debate between the Independent Democrats (ID) and Mxit was more of a "handbags at dawn" scuffle, rather than the duel of wits leading to an informed discussion about technology's impact on rights and responsibilities.
Debates around the use of technology and how it can affect people's lives should always be welcomed, as long as they are well constructed and lead to informed discussions.
Technology has had a profound influence on the way society conducts its conversations. The advent of the printing press allowed the ordinary person to have access to the written word. The invention of radio allowed people to hear discussions in real-time. The rise of the Internet meant the means of producing such content was placed in everyone's hands.
SA is a young society. It is still feeling its way through the freedoms it has won and, as a 13-year-old democracy, it is barely a teenager.
Our country is still revelling in the after-party of gaining its rights. It still has to grip the fact that responsibilities are the opposite side of that same coin. However, this has been acknowledged in our constitution, which recognises free speech, but has a limitation clause meaning that it is not absolute.
Sparking the fight
Sunday's debate on TV, between Patricia de Lille, leader of the political party, and Reinhardt Buys, legal advisor to the controversial cellphone instant messaging service, was littered with rhetoric and personal attacks. It did little to add to the debate and was, therefore, rather disappointing.
The fault lies with both. On the one hand, a politician who is no stranger to controversy and, on the other, a lawyer who is well known within ICT circles.
The company does not do itself any favours by being less than accessible to the public.
Paul Vecchiatto, Cape Town correspondent
Sparking this debate was the naming of Simon Grindrod, a senior ID member, by an unnamed blogger who alleges Grindrod and other well-known South African personalities paid him for sex.
The ID issued a press statement saying Grindrod had laid charges with the police. It also attacked the free use of the Mxit service as being harmful to children, as it allows sexual predators easy access to them by luring them into chat rooms.
De Lille's premise is not wrong. South African social fabric is fragile. The country has one of the highest crime rates in the world and, according to government's own statistics, 55 000 rapes were reported last year alone. She claims she is not asking for censorship, but for a debate and increased regulation of bloggers and services such as Mxit.
Horror stories
During the debate, De Lille mentioned the "horror stories" she had heard from ordinary people, saying this was the cause of her concern.
Buys' answer, on behalf of Mxit, was that sexual predators operate almost everywhere "...such as shopping malls and we don't then ask that shopping malls be closed..."
The above was pretty much the crux of it. The rest of the debate came down to excitable exchanges that did not add anything at all to the overall discussion.
The ID should have made its case for increased regulation and parental control far clearer, and been far more distinct in its case to separate censorship from regulation.
Don't be scared
Mxit should have had its own people there. Having a lawyer representing a company either indicates it is scared, or could not be bothered to state its own case in a public debate - not a good image for a communications firm.
The company does not do itself any favours by being less than accessible to the public. It is impossible to find its telephone number in the directory and its top management is all but incommunicado.
However, here is a home-grown technology that has a proven track record and it could do so much more.
For instance, it could be the ideal vehicle to get various social messages to teenagers, such as the dangers of drugs and increased HIV/AIDS awareness.
Such debates about technology are important, but they must be serious and constructive, otherwise they add little to society's advancement.
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De Lille sticks to Mxit guns
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