7 December, 2011

We can choose to stay silent but where has that ever got anyone?! Our goal must remain: “to seek, find and use the facts to free our people from repressions and oppressions! Hajia Sani

1 December, 2011

By Nizar Manek

South Africa’s ruling party State Security Minister Siyabonga Cwele on 16 November claimed “foreign spies” have been paying civil society groups to oppose the African National Congress’ (ANC) new Protection of State Information Bill.

“You won’t find foreign spies openly marching in the streets of Cape Town, complaining that we are removing their easy access to our sensitive information, but they will fund their local proxies to defend their illegality”, Cwele said in a parliamentary debate, as the Democratic Alliance (DA) opposition stepped up its efforts at filibuster.
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30 November 2011

By Desné Masie

Analysis
South African MPs recently voted overwhelmingly in favour of the ‘Secrecy Bill’ on ‘Black Tuesday’ (November 22), despite objections from civil society, the media and foreign investors. The Bill is said to signal a “dark day for democracy” and a return to apartheid-style secrecy. There is a major concern the Bill might be abused by politicians wishing to hide their corruption and self-enrichment.

The Bill, the proposed Protection of State Information Act, aims to replace the current, unconstitutional and draconian South African legislation dealing with state security and national intelligence, which dates from the apartheid era. Offences against the proposed Act can trigger sanctions of up to 25 years in jail for a journalist, whistleblower, or any other individual in wilful possession of classified information that could harm the republic if disclosed.
Read more…

29 November, 2011

By Nataly Kelly

“Access to information is a basic human right,” said former U.S. President Jimmy Carter, according to the World Bank Institute, at a conference on the subject last year in Accra, Ghana. Information is also power, and more and more organizations are recognizing that it will play an essential role in Africa’s future. Having access to information enables people to do things like take care of their health, understand their rights, start businesses, and participate in political processes.

When it comes to information access, most of the discussions are about the delivery systems such as mobile phones, which in many parts of Africa are the computing devices of choice. Obviously, getting information into people’s hands is critical. But what good is it if they cannot understand that information once they receive it? Africa is home to more than 2,000 different languages spread across six major language families – Nigeria alone has more than 500 tongues spoken within its borders. Some of them – such as Amharic, Berber, Hausa, Igbo, Oromo, Swahili, and Yoruba – are used by tens of millions of people.
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23 November, 2011

press release

The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) today said it opposes the Protection of Information Bill which was passed yesterday in Parliament and called the Upper Chamber to review the legislation which claims to “protect” state information. The draft law provides for a maximum jail term of 25 years against journalists who are convicted of publishing or possessing state documents that the Government deems classified.

“This bill is a regrettable setback for South Africa and the continent,” said Gabriel Baglo, Director of the IFJ Africa Office. “The adoption of the bill would negatively impact on the fate of access to information and good governance in Africa”.

The ruling party ANC hailed the bill as a necessary measure to protect South Africa’s national security information from foreign spies. Read more…

2 November, 2011

“If the freedom of speech is taken away then dumb and silent we may be led, like sheep to the slaughter.” Tracy Grant

15 November, 2011

By Article 19

The Senegalese government must do more to promote the free flow of information, transparency, and civic engagement in decision-making over water infrastructure. Water is too scarce a resource for discussions surrounding its distribution to be conducted in secrecy without consulting affected stakeholders, particularly the disadvantaged. ARTICLE 19 urges the Senegalese government to actively participate in tomorrow’s debate on the impact on disadvantaged consumers of privatising the water infrastructure, organised by CICODEV Africa. The debate coincides with a visit to Senegal of the UN Special Rapporteur on the human right to safe drinking water and sanitation, who will also be promoting dialogue on these issues.

The Senegalese government is currently revising the terms by which it contracts the provision of water services in the country. The outcome of this discussion is likely to significantly affect the financial and geographical accessibility of water in the country, and therefore is a debate of immense public importance. Read more…

11 November 2011

By Peter Mwaura

The Freedom of Information Bill is back after an absence of nearly four years. But this time, it bears the signature of Samuel Poghisio, the minister of Information and Communications.

The proposed law, which is deemed to be so critical for the establishment of an open and accountable government, has been on the agenda, on and off, since 2000.

Three drafts have so far been thrown into the public domain. The first appeared in 2005 but it did not get very far.

The second, sponsored by Kisumu Rural MP, Prof Peter Anyang’ Nyong’o, was gazetted and brought before Parliament in 2007 but was never debated.

Governments have misgivings about a law that makes their activities and deliberations an open book. Read more…

14 November 2011

By Murray Hunter

South Africans should be outraged at the ANC’s disingenuous move to bring the Secrecy Bill back to National Assembly for further deliberations as confirmed by the Office of the ANC Chief Whip last week.

On 19 October, following the shelving of the Bill ostensibly for further consultation, the ANC Chief Whip’s office committed itself to a transparent and clearly road-mapped process to “ensure that as many people as possible, regardless of their political allegiance, get an opportunity to have a say on the draft legislation before it is passed into law.” Communities were promised ample notice of upcoming meetings to express Read more…

14 November 2011

Freedom of the press and the media in Africa is essential for the economic future of Africa. That was the message that the president of the African Development Bank, Donald Kaberuka, gave in his address at the opening of the Fourth African Media Leaders Forum (AMLF) on 10 November 2011 in Tunis.
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