Since its inception the process around the Protection of State Information Bill (POSIB) has been mired in controversy, and has also been subject to considerable misinformation from BOTH proponents and opponents of the Bill. While COSATU agrees that the POSIB is an information security bill and not a media bill, we differ sharply with arguments that casually dismiss the numerous substantive problems with the Bill that we have identified alongside other civil society organisations.

We agree that there is a need to enact security and information legislation. Further we agree that there is a need to replace the current 1982 Protection of Information Act, which is apartheid state security legislation. However, the POSIB needs to undergo substantial revision in order for it to fulfil its purpose appropriately without creating undue consequences.

In particular the values of openness, transparency and accountability must not be undermined. These are given expression in terms of the constitutional rights to freedom of expression and access to information under sections 16 and 32 of the Constitution, which in turn were drawn from articles 6 and 8 of the Freedom Charter.