Ruling Party Reopens Secrecy Law Debate With Public Hearings
Civil society organisations have been brought onto the playing field in a structured way as a specific part of the ANC's strategy to reinvent, reconfigure and resubmit the legislation, and to reopen the conversation in a way which makes it appear more participative.
PHOTO ESSAYS: March Against the Protection of State Information Bill
Demonstrators demanding access to information made their way to Parliament to protest against the Protection of State Information Bill.
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South Africa: New 'Participative' Secrecy Bill Process Could Backfire On the Media (opinion)
Daily Maverick, 28 September 2011
The battle of ideas over the Secrecy Bill has a new player: civil society. read more »
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Southern Africa: South Africa's Ruling ANC Pulls Secrecy Bill (press release)
Committee to Protect Journalists, 20 September 2011
The Committee to Protect Journalists is relieved by Monday's decision by the parliamentary majority of South Africa's ruling party to withdraw a controversial bill from ... read more »
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South Africa: ANC Makes U-Turn On Secrecy Bill - and Lives to Tell the Tale
Biz-Community, 20 September 2011
"Tell us another one" was the response from everyone when ANC chief whip Mathole Motshekga said the party's reason for pulling the Protection of Information Bill on the eve of its ... read more »
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South Africa: Who Is the Real Representative of Public Interest - Parliament or the Media? (opinion)
Daily Maverick, 19 September 2011
We know who's supposed to guard the guardians but who represents the South African voice? Surely not journalists and vocal civil society groups? If so, we're becoming an elistist ... read more »
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South Africa: Ruling Party Pulls Back on Secrecy Bill
South African Press Association, 19 September 2011
The ANC postponed Parliament's vote on the Protection of State Information Bill at the eleventh hour on Monday for further consultation, but said the legislation would be finalised ... read more »
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South Africa: ANC MPs to Rethink Secrecy Bill?
Biz-Community, 19 September 2011
The ANC has kind of confirmed that the Protection of Information Bill will be delayed to ensure that all its MPs (and probably its alliance partners too) are happy to pass it. read more »
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South Africa: Former Minister Attacks Govt Over Secrecy Bill
South African Press Association, 17 September 2011
The Protection of Information Bill is aimed at shielding South Africa's "silly leaders" from embarrassment, not protecting the country's real official secrets, former intelligence ... read more »
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South Africa: 'Secrecy Bill' Step Backwards for Africa
Inter Press Service, 16 September 2011
Critics call it "the Secrecy Bill". And it comes at a time when several African countries are adopting promising new legislation on access to information. But campaigners say South ... read more »
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South Africa: Journalists Declare Against POIB, Start Urgent Petition
Biz-Community, 15 September 2011
The "Journalist Declaration on the Protection of State Information Bill" is an urgent petition that is calling upon all community, public, commercial and trade journalists to speak ... read more »
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South Africa: March or Be Silent
Biz-Community, 12 September 2011
Despite year-long efforts to reform the Secrecy Bill in Parliament, the final draft that will appear before the National Assembly still metes out harsh prison sentences to ... read more »
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South Africa: Media Freedom Blow - Secrecy Bill Still to Jail Journos (opinion)
Biz-Community, 5 September 2011
It looks as if South Africa will finally be joining the club of African countries that imprisons journalists for publishing or broadcasting classified information, even if it ... read more »
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South Africa: State Security Welcomes Progress On Info Bill
BuaNews, 4 September 2011
The Ministry of State Security has noted the latest developments with regards to the processing of the Protection of Information Bill. read more »
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South Africa: Ruling Party Rejects Proposal on Secrecy Law
South African Press Association, 31 August 2011
As deliberations on the Protection of Information Bill near an end, the ANC on Wednesday stood firm in its refusal to write a defence into the legislation for people who disclose ... read more »
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Africa: SANEF's Concern Over Protection of Information Bill Grows (press release)
South African National Editors' Forum, 1 September 2011
The SA National Editors’ Forum is deeply concerned by reports on deliberations by Parliament's Ad Hoc Committee on the Protection of Information Bill that ANC MPs have ... read more »
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South Africa: Secrecy Bill - Some Concessions But Struggle Continues
Biz-Community, 30 August 2011
South African civil society's struggle to bring the controversial Protection of Information Bill - aka Secrecy Bill - in line with constitutional requirements continues, amid some ... read more »
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South Africa: Ruling Party Redrafts Controversial Information Bill
South African Press Association, 24 August 2011
The ANC on Monday made good on a promise to drastically restrict the application of the Protection of Information Bill, and also proposed narrowing the grounds for classifying ... read more »
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South Africa: Scrap Secrecy Bill, Defiant Marchers Tell SA Govt
Biz-Community, 15 August 2011
As the Protection of Information Bill (aka Secrecy Bill) is on the brink of putting South Africa at the same level with secretive societies such as China, North Korea and various ... read more »
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South Africa: Mandela Foundation Promotes Dialogue on Secrecy Law
South African Press Association, 8 June 2011
The Nelson Mandela Foundation hosted talks between government officials, civil society, intelligence agents and academics on the Protection of Information Bill on Wednesday. read more »
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South Africa: Protest Mounts Against Secrecy Law
South African Press Association, 7 June 2011
Constitutional law expert Pierre de Vos on Tuesday called for a complete rethink of the Protection of Information Bill, warning that lawmakers' minor concessions would not save the ... read more »
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South Africa: Former Minister Opposes New Secrecy Law
South African Press Association, 2 June 2011
The rush to complete the Protection of Information Bill by the parliamentary committee is worrying and will lead to huge problems and unnecessary tensions in the future, former ... read more »
InFocus
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Government's rush to complete the Protection of Information Bill is worrying and will lead to huge problems and unnecessary tensions in the future, says former intelligence ... Read more »
- South Africa: Former Minister Opposes New Secrecy Law
- South Africa: Media Development Agency Making a Difference
Comments Post a comment
The big myth that has been created about SA since 1994 is that this country is a democracy. In SA there is no government officials elected by the people and accountable to the people. The members of parliament are not elected by the people and they are appointed by the parties so, there is no need to look for out for the interest of the people. In SA the interest of the parties come before the interest of the people. The purpose of passing this so called media bill is the to protect the big wheel from being exposed by the media for their corrupted practices.