AND NOW FOR SOMETHING COMPLETELY DIFFERENT

Please indulge this brief diversion from the blog topic. Yesterday, 22 November 2011, was “Black Tuesday” in South Africa. Parliament was set to vote on a controversial piece of legislation, the Protection of State Information Bill. Basically, this Bill replaces Apartheid-era legislation governing state secrets. Although this may sound like a good thing, and the legislation is progressive in some aspects, it gives sweeping powers to organs of state to classify information. Any person who comes into possession of such classified information is mandated to immediately go to their nearest police station and hand in the classified information. Should they not do so, and be found guilty of such in a court of law, they would face a minimum sentence of 15 years! Most controversially, there is no provision for a public defense clause. This means that even if the classified information proves a criminal act by a state official, you would still be in contravention of the Bill. Although this legislation affects all citizens' rights, it has the potential to have a particular chilling effect on investigative journalism in SA. Media groups have been vociferous in their opposition to this Bill. There is widespread suspicion that the sole purpose of the Bill is to silence the media, in the wake of a never-ending stream of exposés of high level government corruption. Basically, all that ANC officials have to do is classify information which implicates them in corruption, and they become untouchable.

The Good Reverend addressing the faithful

Poster art

More poster art

Mob with a mission

Recycled surfboard

I attended a demonstration in front of the gates of Parliament on Tuesday. It was heartening to see a turnout of over 2000 concerned citizens. However, the ANC used its parliamentary majority to ram this Bill through. It is our darkest day since 1994. Our democratic rights are now being eroded by the very people who liberated this country. On a positive note, the Bill still has to be approved by the upper house [National Council of Provinces] and by the President. Although these approvals are almost a certainty, there is every chance of certain aspects of the Bill being declared unconstitutional by the Constitutional Court on an appeal, which is certain to follow final approval of the legislation. 

Zachie Achmat [Treatment Action Campaign] speaks

Nick Dawes [Mail and Guardian Newspaper] speaks

Yusuf Abramjee [Primedia] speaks

The real question is, why is the ANC so desperate to ram legislation through Parliament, which every eminent legal brain in the country claims will not withstand Constitutional scrutiny? Does it perhaps have anything to do with their now legendary thieving, looting, tender rigging and corrupt ways? Their days in power are numbered: we are not the fools they take us to be.