Twitter takes to Black Tuesday

The top trending topics on SA Twitter are 'Black Tuesday', 'POIB' (Protection of Information Bill) and 'Secrecy Bill', with Twitterers making their opinions known on the issue.

One Twitterer, @HRH_Nombuso, was glad that Twitter was showing its solidarity against the Secrecy Bill: "I love how everyone's involved with Black Tuesday & the Secrecy Bill. Good to know that Twitter's good for things other than pushing terror."

Tweeters who supported the cause gave their reasons for doing so.

Said @i_am_jobarrow: "Because this country has worked too hard and come too far to see history repeating itself."

Twitterer @KhulekaniMag wrote: "For the people living [in] municipalities that are slowly fading into ghost towns because of maladministration..."

Tweeted @Niquifruit: "You've gotta love SA. As a nation, we've seen too much injustice so we love our freedom and democracy. Don't mess with it."

@Brettpentland_s tweeted: "Metaphorically standing together against the POIB on Black Tuesday! This bill cannot be passed by a government strife with corruption!!!"

Some chose to quote the words of others, such as @Selina_dF, who tweeted: "'To limit the press is to insult a nation' - Claude-Adrien Helvétius."

Nelson Mandela was quoted by @hfourie146: "'A critical, independent and investigative press is the lifeblood of any democracy'",  while Albert Camus' words were quoted by @JackHammerEH: "'A free press can be good or bad, but without freedom the press will never be anything but bad'".

Even an animated spoof was quoted, with @Julienfievez tweeting: "As they say in Team America, 'Freedom isn't free. Freedom costs a buck-o-five and if you don't chip in, who will?'"

Tweeters opposed to the implementation of the Protection of Information Bill made were out in full force.

Tweeted @RobPrice58: "ANC masking its institutionalisation of oppression of the public as protection of the public."

Another user, @khanyaMbali, agreed that the issue affected people beyond the media: "The POIB doesn't only affect journalists and whistle blowers, but affects all citizens of South Africa. Don't be ignorant."

Also in a similar vein, @JennieGreenhill said: "I am sure we voted for a government for the people and NOT a government for the government."

The threat to media freedom bothered @ScribalGoddess, who tweeted: "Dark day for South Africa: There can be no freedom if the media is not free."

@Nee_poh was rather harsh, tweeting: "If the POIB is passed, I'm taking my flag and putting it in the bin: don't dare call me South African again."

Tweeter @KopanoMashishi had some words for the ruling party: "Dear ANC, I don't like a lot of SA media's tjatjarag tendencies either. But we need a less biased media, not a censored one."

Tweeted @AbsaJabza: "The government is corrupt and that is of public interest."

@SwaGummy summed it up as such: "I hear the bill is being renamed the Protection of Corruption, Incompetence, and Other Embarrassing Acts bill."