Quote of the week
Universal adult suffrage on a common voters roll is one of the foundational values of our entire constitutional order. The achievement of the franchise has historically been important both for the acquisition of the rights of full and effective citizenship by all South Africans regardless of race, and for the accomplishment of an all-embracing nationhood. The universality of the franchise is important not only for nationhood and democracy. The vote of each and every citizen is a badge of dignity and of personhood. Quite literally, it says that everybody counts. In a country of great disparities of wealth and power it declares that whoever we are, whether rich or poor, exalted or disgraced, we all belong to the same democratic South African nation; that our destinies are intertwined in a single interactive polity.
August and Another v Electoral Commission and Others (CCT8/99) [1999] ZACC 3
Stop Secrecy Bill – march to Parlaiment on 17 September
DEMAND THE RIGHT TO KNOW!
STOP THE SECRECY BILL!
Right2Know March to Parliament, 10.30am – 1pm, Saturday 17 September
It’s been almost one year since R2K mounted its first march on Parliament in protest at the draconian Secrecy Bill! Through the efforts of our membership of civil society organisations, social movements and community groups, we have ensured that many of the draconian clauses have been removed or revised. But despite efforts to reform the Secrecy Bill in Parliament, the final draft that will appear before the National Assembly still metes out harsh prison sentences to whistleblowers, and poses a clear threat to the free flow of information.
On Saturday 17 September from 10.30am to 1pm, thousands of South Africans will join in a march to Parliament to reject the final draft of the ‘Secrecy Bill’.
Start time: 10.30AM (right after the rugby)
Where: Cnr of Tennant St and Kaizersgracht (outside CPUT campus)
COME DRESSED IN RED, BLACK and WHITE!
How can you get involved?
1) Join the MARCH! RSVP on the Facebook event page: SPEAK OUT AGAINST SECRECY: MARCH TO PARLIAMENT!
2) Send this invitation to everyone you know!
3) Volunteer to be a MARSHAL on the day. Send an with your contact details and “Marshal” in the subject line to right2knowsa@gmail.com
4) Make a DONATION to support the march! This can be done online on R2K’s Donors Page.
For more information, and to organise transport for your community contact Nkwame Cedile: nkwame.cedile@gmail.com / 021 461 7211 or 078 227 6008
Issued by Right2Know Secretariat
