Right2Know Campaign

PICKET AT MINISTRY OF STATE SECURITY – Gauteng

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PRESS STATEMENT from Gauteng R2K Campaign

PICKET AT MINISTRY OF STATE SECURITY ON FRIDAY 24th JUNE FROM 11H00-13H00

All media are invited to join the Right2Know campaign at a picket outside the offices of the Ministry of State Security, at the Bogare building (corner of Atterbury Road and Louis Avenue, Pretoria).

We have chosen to hold this picket on the 24th June 2011, as this was the original deadline for the parliamentary ad-hoc committee responsible for the Protection of Information Bill, to finalise the proposed bill. Although there have been some minor adjustments to the Bill and the deadline has now been extended, the majority of the R2K’s demands around the Secrecy Bill have not been addressed.

We have chosen to picket at the Ministry of State Security because it is clear that from the time the Secrecy Bill was tabled in Parliament, it is this Ministry that has been its prime driver and champion. As far as we are aware this is the first time that there will be such an action outside the Ministry.

The core demand of the R2K Campaign is that the Secrecy Bill in its current form must be withdrawn and redrafted from scratch, with proper and meaningful public participation.  We will continue our struggle, alongside our Campaign members and sympathisers across the country to ensure that any Bill reflects the following:

  • Limits secrecy to core state bodies in the security sector such as the police, defence and intelligence agencies
  • Limits secrecy to strictly defined national security matters and no more. Officials must give reasons for making information secret.
  • Does not exempt the intelligence agencies from public scrutiny
  • Does not apply penalties for unauthorised disclosure to society at large, only those responsible for keeping secrets
  • Ensures that an independent body appointed by Parliament, and not the Minister of State Security, should be the arbiter of decisions about what may be made secret
  • Does not criminalise the legitimate disclosure of secrets in the public interest.

DATE: 24 June 2011
TIME: 11h00 – 13h00
VENUE: The offices of the Ministry of State Security Bogare Building
Corner of Atterbury Road and Louis Avenue – Pretoria

Let the truth be told! Stop the Secrecy Bill!

For further comment contact:
R2K Gauteng spokesperson: Dale McKinley
Cell: 072 429 4086
Email: dtmckinley@gmail.com
Website: www.r2k.org.za

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