Development Talk

On Black Tuesday the strong sentiment shared by many was probably a combination of disillusionment and disbelief. Civil rights groups, media houses, nobel laureates, global media and ordinary citizens voiced strong opposition to the adoption of the so called “Secrecy Bill” by the National Assembly yesterday. The bill was adopted with 229 to 107 votes by the 400-member chamber.

Black Tuesday was a reality check for many. It’s a clear indication that the ANC majority no longer uphold the values of the constitution. Which makes no sense given that they fought so hard to put the values in place?

Although the bill was voted in by ANC MPs, it still has to follow a course where it is brought to the second house – the National Council of Provinces as well as to the public for review. Those who voted against the bill in parliament will be able to refer the bill for review by the Constitutional Court within 30 days of the president signing it into law.

But where to from here? If the ANC cannot uphold our constitutional rights, it is up to ordinary citizens, civil rights groups, the media and opposition parties to enforce these rights. The course the ANC have chosen was met with strong opposition and will continue to be met with opposition. The battle has just begun.

Black Tuesday does not mark the day the ANC majority voted for the “Secrecy Bill.” It marks the day we opposed the vote. And as protests were held in Johannesburg, Durban and in Cape Town the movement towards democracy was driven by the Right2Know campaign who joined forces and formed a coalition between Right2Know, TAC, Equal Education, SCAT and the Social Justice Coalition to mention a few.

Strong opposition was expressed in local media by Cosatu, SA National Editor’s Forum, Media Monitoring Africa (MMA), Helen Suzman Foundation, The United Association of South Africa (Uasa) and The South African Human Rights Commission (SAHRC).

The opposition to the vote caught the attention of global media including the BBC, New York Times, Aljazeera and Telegraph (UK).

And prior to the vote in parliament the vote was contested, debated and appealed by the IFP, Cope & DA. Senior ministers like Trevor Manuel warned that the party was betraying South Africans and its own struggle for democracy. Public Protector Thuli Madonsela wrote to the Speaker that the bill would impact on her work because she relies heavily on information from whistleblowers and the media. 

But here’s what can you do?

Join Right2Know Facebook Group and stay informed.

Or send an email To: infobill@parliament.gov.za
Subject: OBJECTION TO THE PASSING OF THE SECRECY BILL

I, ___________________, object to the passing of this bill for the following reasons:

To suggest that we, the public who have elected you to govern our interests as a society are not allowed to know what you are doing regarding the funds you receive from us and the deals that you make which are meant to benefit our nation is that of a draconian nature and certainly not of a democratic one.

Has the battle been lost as the “Secrecy Bill” (Protection of State Information Bill) is being tabled in the National Assembly today? Protesters gathered outside parliament from 1pm in protest against the latest developments which threaten to fast-track the possible implementation of this controversial bill.

Righ2Know (R2K), a nation-wide coalition of people and organisations opposed to the Protection of Information Bill led the protest outside parliament today. The coalition expressed justifiably strong feelings that South Africans should be “outraged” at the ANC’s move to bring the bill back to the National Assembly without debate as was promised by the ANC’s Chief Whip’s office last month.

After the bill is tabled in parliament today, it could be referred to a parliamentary ad hoc committee or passed and sent to the National Council of Provinces for deliberation. What this means is that the state is a step closer to being able to silence the media for good.  And media being silenced is a sure sign that we are no longer a democracy

Although the ANC announced on Sunday 13 November that a “consultation process” is being planned and that the they are considering adding a clause allowing for public interest debate, parties opposed to the Secrecy Bill are criticizing the government’s implementation of the Secrecy Bill  as unconstitutional not only in principle but also in terms of the implementation process – deliberately lacking in consultation.

Right2Know protest outside parliament against the implementation of the controversial Secrecy Bill

Southern African region faces many challenges as a result of poverty

Southern Africa is now part of a movement following high level talks held in Johannesburg on 3 November 2011 on regional integration.  The talks were convened by the Southern African Trust

Poverty results in inadequate housing and basic facilitiesThe broader Southern African region faces challenges as a result of poverty

and the dialogue was opened by Mrs Graca Machel.  The talks focussed on regional integration and how best to improve the economic and social conditions in  Southern Africa.

Let us consider a more detailed definition of Regional Integration. According to Europa, summaries of European Union Legislation, regional integration is the process of overcoming by common accord, political, economic and social barriers that divide countries from their neighbors and of collaborating in the management of shared resources and common regional goals. It seems that such an agreement would have tremendous benefit for the poor.

The plan with the dialogue is to find ways to initiate opportunities that can be exploited by Southern Africans. Such a project has already been initiated by regions like the European Union. The meeting was convened by the Southern African Trust, with financial support from the Flemish government.

Additionally, the European Union is sited not only as an example, but as a model of a region that has applied and utilised the principle of regional integration and improved its trade relations. However regional integration also impacts negatively if an economy is experiencing economic difficulties. For instance, Greece’s debt crisis has a negative impact on the entire EU region currently.

In a country where over 40% of the population lives in poverty our view is that this kind of dialogue, coupled with swift action, is desperately needed.

Furthermore,  according to Southern Africa Trust, the lives of Southern Africans determine the future for our societies, but across Southern Africa young people experience many challenges, including having no jobs, suffering from HIV and AIDS and violence.

Indeed, where countries establish and honour a common understanding and allow free movement of goods and services, poverty can be eradicated and this fosters a regional economic boom.  These talks provide a platform to shape further discussions around regional integration.