Khayelitsha leaders rally against media bill

The following article was published by Sowetan about a meeting hosted in Khayelitsha by Social Justice Coalition, Treatment Action Campaign and Equal Education in support of the Right2Know Campaign.

KHAYELITSHA community leaders have called on residents and young people to reject the Protection of Information Bill in its current form.

About 500 people, mostly pupils, chanted freedom songs at a meeting hosted by the Right2Know Campaign in Khayelitsha.

Pamphlets in isiXhosa were distributed among the residents.

Speakers demanded accountability and transparency from the government and also called on residents to mobilise people and communities in opposing the Bill.

Xola Skosana, community leader and pastor of Way of Life Church in Khayelitsha, said if people were not able to have access to information, they would not be able to make right and informed decisions.

Treatment Action Campaign chairperson in Khayelitsha, Neliswa Nkwali, said they condemned the Secrecy Bill because the country’s Constitution said everyone had the right to information.

“This means that the government is violating our constitutional right,” she said.

“You must make a loud noise in opposing the Bill in its current form.”

Nkwali said last year they had to struggle to get information from government for their treatment action plan for people with Aids.

She said the aim of the government was to hide corruption and other practices by government officials.

Wanda Bici, an educator at Social Justice Coalition, said the Bill would severely affect ordinary people such as TB patients, HIV-positive people and shack dwellers in many communities.

“Residents will not be able to know how much money is spent by government on projects and that it will not be accountable,” he said.

When the City of Cape Town built open toilets for Makhaza residents a few years ago, the Social Justice Coalition unsuccessfully tried to get a report or relevant information from the City.

Bici also said the City failed to respond to them after they wanted to know their reasons for not building libraries for school children in many communities.

“The Bill will also affect equality education, safety and security and service delivery,” he said. Bici urged business people and others not to use the Secrecy Bill to promote their interests or injustices at the expense of ordinary people.

In a question-and-answer session, a resident called on the Right2Know Campaign to join forces with the SA National Editors Forum in fighting the Bill.

Source Sowetan