State secrecy a growing culture - R2K
2013-02-15 22:00
Johannesburg - President Jacob Zuma failed to acknowledge a "growing culture of secrecy and securitisation of the state" in his State of the Nation speech, the Right2Know Campaign said on Friday.
"The broader climate of secrecy and a growing culture of securitisation remains unchallenged in his [Zuma's] roadmap for the nation," it said in a statement.
Zuma failed to acknowledge that many of the laws governing the right to assemble in South Africa - including the regulations of the Gatherings Act and National Key Points Act - often did more to restrict this right than to enable it.
Zuma ignored the growing concerns that aggressive and militarised policing had itself led to tragic and outrageous abuses of protesters’ rights, Right2Know said.
The organisation said it would release a report next week, titled "Secret State of the Nation".
"The report will shine a light on the existing climate of secrecy in South Africa."
- SAPA
