'Secrecy' Bill, a threat to Rights?

By Rose Molefe

The proposed Protection of State Information has caused havoc in our country. As a result, it seems to be a possible threat to the two fundamental rights; freedom of expression and access to information. As these rights are the bedrock of the South African democratic society.

The purpose of the Bill of Rights is to ensure that the state is restrained from violating any fundamental rights of the individuals in society. It is true that citizens should be freely informed about political problems in order to participate effectively for the greater good of the democratic process. This then suggests that the limitation of information prohibits participation and results in inactive passive citizens. However, it can be argued that the media has become scandalous in their ways of informing the public; and claim the information to be of public interest. To a certain extent it is so, all media publications seem to be resulting to the tabloid format of telling stories. This may be because the public have become so much more interested in what is happening in the personal lives of politicians as opposed to how the lives of politicians affect the country at large.

The constitution states that individuals are free to express themselves, and to be creative while doing so. As an aspiring journalist it is due to me to inform the public in a way which is not mundane but is creative. How then will future journalists, inform the public creatively, if the access to information and freedom of expression are being infringed? It is understandable that all rights are not absolute, and that to a certain extent they have limits. However, these two rights are not bound to suspension but limitation and if the state intends on implementing the secrecy bill, they should be certain not to infringe of the rights of the public.

If there is an infringement the public will be sure to cause a revolution against the ‘Secrecy’ Bill.