R2K-affiliate communities in Soweto to hold Secrecy Bill picket outside Baragwanath Hospital
PARLIAMENTARIANS! DO THE RIGHT THING AND VOTE AGAINST SECRECY!
Date:Friday, 8th March 2013
Time 12:30 – 14:00
Venue Chris Hani Road, in front of Chris Hani (Baragwanath) Hospital.Soweto
The Secrecy Bill, which is now in its final Parliamentary stages, remains a clear threat to South Africa’s right to know. As part of R2K’s ongoing activities around the Bill, four affiliated community organisations in Soweto (Soweto Concerned Residents, Voice of the People Concerned Residents, Gauteng Concerned Residents and the Soweto Electricity Crisis Committee) will participate in a picket next to Baragwanath Hospital. This is part of a series of R2K Gauteng affiliated community pickets that will be taking place over the next three months.
In the past two years R2K has expanded its work into many grassroots communities, conducting public activities and popular education on the four legs of our Campaign (Access to Information, Media Diversity, Stop the Secrecy Bill and Justice for Whistleblowers). As such, these communities are all too well aware that the finalised NCOP version of the Secrecy Bill – now before the National Assembly – amongst other things, criminalises the public for possessing information that has already been leaked, protects apartheid-era secrets and still contains broad definitions of national security that will in all likelihood be used to suppress legitimate disclosures in the public interest. If passed, it will affect every community’s right to access and make known crucial information from government that impacts on residents lives.
Our picket (accompanied by distribution of R2K publications) will be a peaceful, educational activity to spread the word about the Secrecy Bill within our communities.
For more information contact R2K Gauteng Organiser, Bongani Xezwi on 0710432221
FIGHT FOR YOUR RIGHT2KNOW!
BLOW THE WHISTLE ON THE BILL!
