Bheki Cele should be fired

The probing of suspended police chief Bheki Cele is just one example of what stand to happen should the Protection of Information  Bill pass.

Cele is not the first official holding a high seat to be on the wrong side of the law on allegations of misconduct .First it was Jack Selebi also was a commissioner of police and now Cele.  What seems to be striking about these two is that they both held positions where they are to protect and serve the people in South Africa .Had it not been for the media freedom that still exists at the present moment such information would have not made it to the public.

The POIB is meant to protect ‘state security ‘and the department of police is one on those departments that will have such powers to classify information. Without media freedom the media will be the voice of the government and without diversity the media will be a voice for the enterprise.

Communication must be universal and users must be able to access information anytime anywhere. Stories like these would have never made it to the front pages as ‘comrades ‘would be protecting each other just like they have been doing when allocating positions to each other where some were not fit or qualified for such positions.

The breaking in at Intelligent Ministers home should not be an excuse for the PIOB

The breaking in that occurred at the house belonging to the Intelligent Minister’s  home where laptops containing sensitive information were stolen is a cry for concern .But this should in no way become an emphasising motive to push forward the introducing of the Protection of Information Bill.

Understanding  that state information should be kept safe and secure and  the theft that  happened is evident that more security measures should be in place for such incidents .The PIB is not the way as more than the ‘sensitive information ‘ will be protected .

Understanding that the bill seeks to balance, it is not everything that requires protection, as South African citizens we are being made to believe that only valuable ‘information such as ID numbers, bank accounts details and preventing fraudulent marriages is the reason why this bill is being introduced. Everyone is certain that state information must be protected but we must ensure that this Bill has very limited application, only to the state security institutions such as the intelligence unit and that there is a public interest override.

The new proposal of the General Intelligent Bill is another bill that should be review properly. Our government should be transparent and as citizens of this country we must ensure that our rights to know are not infringed.

Only a handful of African counties, seven out of 54 have adopted national access to information laws. This law that is being proposed is challenged by all members of civil society  and those in favour of it is because they haven’t read it and understood it to the core.

Let's seek out to protect our rights; conferred by the Constitution, one of the best in the world, South Africa has always been respected because of it.