“Everything secret degenerates, even the administration of justice, nothing is safe that does not show it can bear discussion and publicity” Lord Acton

Today marks another milestone in the ongoing fight against the proposed Protection of Information Bill. The bill, first tabled a couple of months ago as a means of protecting information the state sees as confidential and classified in the interest of state security,  has been highly controversial with critics calling is undemocratic and unconstitutional, especially in its broad definition of who has the authority to classify information and its reluctance to include any form of public interest clause.

The decisions of today coupled with those made in the coming future will greatly shape the way the media in South Africa operates and will be the true benchmark of exactly how far we have come as a nation, post 1994, in achieving a true democracy. These decisions whether good or bad will be remembered and discussed by generations to follow.

As University students and scholars of the media it is with great alarm that we watch the foundation upon which we must build our profession, the constitution, be violated and abused by some of those whose hands helped to establish it. As future reporters, editors and media activists, we here at Global Edge Media seek to make it completely clear that we are in strict opposition to the so called secrecy bill being passed especially without adequate public consultation, consideration and a public interest clause.

We shall fight in parliament, we shall fight with the pen and with the truth until we are victorious in achieving clarity and accountability deserving of all members of a democratic society.