The Effect the Protection of State Information Bill Will Have on South African Democracy if Passed

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Introduction
The Protection of State Information Bill is a controversial bill passed in early 2010 by the South African government, but was soon called back into analysis. Since then there have been consistent rumours about the bill being passed into law. There are numerous organisations opposed to this bill, and few people who would benefit from it, raising the question of if this bill would signal the end of democracy in South Africa.
Organisations
Right2Know
Right2Know is an activist company founded as an opposition to the Secrecy Bill. It was founded in late August 2010 in Cape Town. It opposes the deterioration of worldwide human rights and portrays themselves as a progressive force which carries the hopes of many. The organisation has assessed the Secrecy Bill according to their seven-point freedom test. There were several concerns regarding the bill, and the key concerns can be seen below.

In their report, Right2Know expresses concern that it is too easy for the minister to extend the number of organisations affected by the bill and that it may extend beyond security of the state, as the government says it would be limited to. They also state that the minister responsible for the extent of the bill may benefit from censorship, allowing the bill to be extended over an unnecessary scale. It also seems, according to this organisation, that information can be classed as “top secret” too readily. They also point out that the bill introduces easy exceptions to the National Archives of South Africa Act 1996, which states that information may not be kept classified for more than twenty years. The panel responsible for granting situations exception has little regulations, effectively canceling out the National Archives of South Af...

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...hits back at SARS. The Witness , 1. Pietermaritzburg, KwaZulu Natal, South Africa: The Witness.
Right2Know. (n.d.). History. Retrieved April 24, 2014, from Right2Know: http://www.r2k.org.za/about/history/
Right2Know. (n.d.). Measuring the Bill against R2K's seven-point freedom test.
National Assembly. (2010). Protection of State Information Bill. 28. Pretoria, Gauteng, South Africa: South African Government.
SAHRC. (n.d.). About the SAHRC. Retrieved May 2, 2014, from South African Human Rights Commision: http://www.sahrc.org.za/home/index.php?ipkContentID=1
SAHRC. (2012, February 10). Submission to the D Hoc Committee on Protection of State Information Bill. South Africa: SAHRC.
Turner, T. (2013, December 22). WHAT DOES THE FAX SAY? (North Korean Ylvis The Fox Parody Music Video HD). Retrieved May 4, 2014, from YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pxDgQJBVJxg

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