Minister Siyabonga Cwele returned to Parliament’s ad-hoc committee processing the Protection of Information Bill – the Secrecy Bill – today to elaborate his proposed changes to the current draft.

Judged by his ever more desparate attempts at spin, the minister is clearly feeling the heat. Right2Know will not be put off course. It will continue its Week of Action, culminating in a mass march to Parliament and Durban City Hall next Wednesday, October 27.

In September, after Right2Know and others highlighted the draconian nature of his Bill, Cwele came to Parliament claiming to have “heard” the concerns. He outlined proposed changes, which were cosmetic at best. Today’s perfomance was only so much more hot air.

Then, Cwele claimed that secrecy was the “oil that lubricates our democracy”. Today he declared that “those who continue to argue against the Bill, following our proposals on 17 September 2010 and today, are basically of the view that South Africa has no legitimate national security to protect”.

The Minister claims to be listening to legitimate concerns, yet he declares that criticism is illegitimate.

Cwele has not heard. Even with his proposed changes, the Bill will choke the free flow of information – the lifeblood of the open, responsive and accountable democracy that our constitution demands.

The Minister has consistently failed to respond to the core demands made by the over 350 civil society organisations and more than 10,000 individuals who have signed on to the Right2Know Campaign.

Our demands are:

• Limit secrecy to core state bodies in the security sector such as the police, defense and intelligence agencies. NOT MET.

• Limit secrecy to strictly defined national security matters and no more. Officials must give reasons for making information secret. NOT MET.

• Exclude commercial information from this Bill. NOT MET.

• Do not exempt the intelligence agencies from public scrutiny. NOT MET.

• Do not apply penalties for unauthorised disclosure to society at large, only those responsible for keeping secrets. NOT MET.

• An independent body appointed by Parliament, and not the Minister of Intelligence, should be the arbiter of decisions about what may be made secret. NOT MET.

• Do not criminalise the legitimate disclosure of secrets in the public interest. NOT MET.

Not one of these demands have been met. The minister has failed the freedom test again.

The Right2Know Campaign is concerned that the Protection of Information Bill – also known as the Secrecy Bill – currently before Parliament will fundamentally undermine hard-won constitutional rights including access to information and freedom of expression. R2K is an umbrella campaign representing a broad front of civil society groups. The R2K statement – “Let the truth be told. Stop the Secrecy Bill!” – was drafted following public hearings on the Bill in July 2010 and demands that secrecy legislation must comply with constitutional values. It is based on detailed submissions made to Parliament by civil society groups.

Over 350 civil society organizations and 10,000 individuals have signed up to the R2K statement.

For comment:

Mark Weinberg (national co-ordinator R2K) –074 1036704

Alison Tilley – 071 6718654 bp;

Sithembile Mbete – 083 6862554

Stefaans Brümmer – 083 2747438

For details of the Week of ACtion visit www.r2k.org.za