Cosatu to stage marches against Info Bill

Cosatu is to lead a mass campaign to raise awareness about the Protection of State Information Bill before it is passed into law.

Addressing the South African National Editors' Forum and Right2Know organisation yesterday, Cosatu general secretary Zwelinzima Vavi said it will invite all South Africans to form a united front against the bill.

Vavi said Cosatu planned to :

• Start an education campaign on the bill;
• Organise a national summit to create awareness and give the government a message from citizens who are against the bill;
• Organise a nationwide march should the National Council of Provinces pass the bill; and
• Launch a legal bid at the Constitutional Court should President Jacob Zuma sign the bill into law.

Vavi said a committee comprising Cosatu, Sanef and Right to Know members will be formed to coordinate the campaign.

The draft bill had the potential of suppressing some sections of the constitution, he said.

"As it is, this particular legislation will supersede all other pieces of legislation that have been passed in parliament," he said.

"We do not believe civil society has any other choice but to do all that is possible to ensure the protection of the interests of the working class and public, who would be the most adversely affected by problematic provisions in the bill.

"W e cannot ignore the impact that rampant corruption has had on constraining key priority areas of service delivery," he said.

Sanef chairman Mondli Makhanya said there were ANC members who voted against their conscience in the National Assembly last week.

"What we want to say to the ANC and the government is that they cannot be on the wrong side of the constitution, the Freedom Charter, and public opinion," he said.

The New York Times published an opinion piece by Mail & Guardian editor Nic Dawes, political analyst Judith February and Aids activist Zackie Achmat on Tuesday, which said the health of one of the world's most celebrated democracies was under threat.

Yesterday, Ernst Roets, Afriforum's deputy CEO, said it launched a petition on a website on Tuesday, called thebillstopshere.co.za, and by yesterday, had received 5000 e-mails from the public.