The best way to honour Asmal is to scrap the Secrecy Bill
The Right2Know campaign is saddened by the death of Kader Asmal, and wishes to express its condolences to Asmal’s family, friends and those who worked alongside him during South Africa’s struggle for liberation.
We recognise the immensely important role that Asmal played in drafting the Constitution, and his championing of these values through his efforts to promote integrity in public life, and his role as longstanding chair of the Parliamentary ethics committee.
It is prescient that one of Asmal’s final contributions to defending and advancing democratic values was to speak out against the Protection of Information Bill. In June 2011 Asmal publically called for the people of South Africa to reject the ‘Secrecy Bill’ outright, for the Bill to be withdrawn entirely and rewritten with an emphasis on the rights of access to information and freedom of expression.
The Right2Know campaign calls on civil society to continue the spirit of Asmal’s work, in organising, activating and mobilising communities against the Secrecy Bill which threatens to erode these ideals, and undermine the ongoing struggle for social justice. Now is not only a time to mourn the passing of one leader who did much to advance South Africa’s democracy; it is also a time to honour that legacy through our own words and deeds.
The best way to honour Asmal is to scrap the Secrecy Bill!
Kader Asmal’s call for South Africans to reject the Secrecy Bill can be read here.
For comment please contact:
Murray Hunter (National coordinator): 072 672 5468
Sithembile Mbete (R2K Western Cape): 083 686 2554
Dale McKinley (R2K Gauteng): 072 429 4086
Quinton Kippen (R2K KwaZulu-Natal): 083 871 7549
