Bizos joins opposition of Info Bill

Bizos joins opposition of Info Bill
Well-known human rights lawyer and anti-apartheid activist, George Bizos has added his voice in opposing the Protection of State Information Bill.

22 February 2012 | MUSA MOHAMED

JOHANNESBURG - Well-known human rights lawyer and anti-apartheid activist, George Bizos has added his voice in opposing the Protection of State Information Bill.

Bizos joins other prominent personalities, such as Nobel laureates Nadine Gordimer and Desmond Tutu, in opposing the proposed law being pushed by the ANC in Parliament.


Public hearings on the controversial Bill are currently under way, spearheaded by the National Council of Provinces (NCOP), with a report on the outcome of the hearings expected to be tabled in the NCOP in April.

Bizos and his colleague William Kerfoot, believe the Bill threatens many of the fundamental values and principles enshrined in the constitution.

They said that the Bill will have a chilling effect on freedom of expression and will work to silence whistle blowers, journalists and – concerned citizens.

“Rather than revisiting apartheid-era securocratic methods of information protection, the Bill must seek an appropriate balance between state secrecy and human rights,” they said.

They made a submission on the Information Bill to the NCOP, on behalf of People Against Suffering, Suppression, Oppression and Poverty (Passop).

Bizos and Kerfoot argue that the drafters of the Bill had not given careful consideration necessary for such significant change in the law of the country.

– musam@citizen.co.za