Resources

• South Africa's Restrictive 'Secrecy Bill'
  [News]

  30 Nov 2011By Nic Dawes, Judith February and Zackie Achmat Defenders of freedom in South Africa are deeply worried these days. The health of one of the ...

• Why secrecy bill needs a public interest defence
  [News]

  22 Nov 2011‘The bill shuts off the state security agencies from any kind of scrutiny or accountability to the public’   STATE Security Minister Siyabonga Cwele , ...

• Idasa raises concerns on participation process for Protection of State Information Bill
  [News]

  22 Nov 2011Idasa calls on Deputy President Motlanthe, as the Leader of Government Business in Parliament, to askthat the scheduling of the Protection of State Information Bill ...

• Decision to suspend bill is a victory for the Right2Know campaign
  [Articles]

  27 Sep 2011Report by Sithembile Mbete On 19 September the Parliamentary Caucus of the ANC announced that it was withdrawing the Protection of State Information Bill from ...

• Access to Parliament is a right not a privilege
  [News]

  05 Apr 2011By: Sithembile Mbete and Judith February WHILE Parliament has many failings, its committees have always been open to the public. Yet it is easy to ...

• Organs of state audit done to assist PIB committee
  [Press Releases]

  26 Jan 2011Idasa has conducted its own audit of "organs of state" as defined in the Protection of Information Bill and compiled a schedule to assist the ...

• Parliamentary process of the Protection of Information Bill
  [Podcasts]

  10 Dec 2010Judith February of the Parliamentary Information and Monitoring Service (PIMS) on the parliamentary process of the Protection of Information Bill currently before the South African ...

• The distinction between the Media Appeal and Tribunal and the Protection of Information Bill
  [Podcasts]

  10 Dec 2010Judith February of the Parliamentary Information and Monitoring Service (PIMS) on the distinction between the proposed Media Appeals Tribunal and the Protection of Information Bill ...

• The Protection of Information Bill in South Africa
  [Podcasts]

  10 Dec 2010Judith February of the Parliamentary Information and Monitoring Service (PIMS) explains the implications for democracy posed by the Protection of Information Bill currently before the ...

• Sweden and Access to Information
  [Podcasts]

  27 Nov 2010Whenever you mention Sweden these days, it’s easy to simply think of Gripen fighter jets and the arms deal. Although Sweden and South Africa are ...

• The Right to Know and the Protection of Information Bill in South Africa
  [Podcasts]

  27 Nov 2010In March 2010 the Minister of State Security introduced the Protection of Information Bill to the South African parliament for consideration to replace an old ...

• Protection of Information Bill
  [Podcasts]

  06 Oct 2010Talking to Laurie Nathan on the Protection of Information Bill. How to frame the discussion about the legislation in a way that we find common ...

• Join the meeting - launching the campaign
  [Press Releases]

  30 Aug 2010Over 180 civil society organisations and numerous prominent individuals have endorsed a civil society statement titled 'Let the Truth Be Told! Stop the Secrecy Bill'. ...

• Media Tribunal and POI Bill are not the same
  [Press Releases]

  20 Aug 2010Idasa points out that the Protection of Information Bill and the proposed Media Appeals Tribunal are not one and the same, as their interchangeable use ...

• Protection of Information Bill - Briefing note
  [Articles]

  17 Aug 2010By Stefaans Brummer For a PDF version of this document, click here. Share your opinions here. Background The apartheid-era Protection of Information Act (84 of ...

• Your right to know is being threatened
  [News]

  12 Aug 2010Idasa is part of a civil society collective campaigning for a redraft of the Promotion of Information Bill that has received heated publicity in South ...

• Do you have concerns about secrecy of information and media freedom?
  [Articles]

  04 Aug 2010Share your opinions here. Let the truth be told Stop the Secrecy Bill! A responsive and accountable democracy that can meet the basic needs of ...

• PIMS says secrecy bill could constrain MPs' functions
  [Submissions]

  28 Jul 2010Following Idasa's oral submission to Parliament on 21 July on the Protection of Information Bill, PIMS gave the Ad Hoc Committee a further written submission ...

• Secrecy bill: Idasa concerned that Parliament unable to do it justice
  [Speeches]

  27 Jul 2010Idasa has asked the Speaker to confirm whether the senior committee members who missed the public hearings on the Protection of Information Bill will be ...

• Parliament to decide how much secrecy our democracy can permit
  [News]

  21 Jul 2010African democracy institute Idasa warns that the proposed Protection of Information Bill, up for debate in parliament, may weaken the existing transparency framework which protects ...

• How much secrecy should be allowed in our democracy?
  [Articles]

  20 Jul 2010The proposed Protection of Information Bill (up for debate in SA parliament tomorrow) may weaken the public’s right to know. Parliamentarians need to make sure ...

• Idasa’s views on Protection of Information Bill
  [Submissions]

  15 Jul 2010In a 15-page submission to Parliament on the Protection of Information Bill, Idasa’s Political Information and Monitoring Service (PIMS) said that while a bill of ...