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The ruling party has presented four objections to the Bill, none of which stand up to a reasonable standard of examination. The first being FOI cannot be introduced until after a Data Protection Bill. Following an earlier attack on the Bill in a secret unattributed document the President argued that, for instance, in regard to the number of days to process an application “There is no universally accepted legal definition of the word `day.’ ”
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I am constantly amazed, although by now I shouldn’t be, at how politicians of all persuasions cry out for the need to government agencies and governments to be open to examination and accountability, yet they, once they are elected to govern very quickly change the law, bring in spin doctors and do everything in their power not to have the actions examined or have to revel their mistakes.
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No one can get by without making mistakes at some time. Citizens have the right to know what their government is doing and hold it accountable for its actions. Whether we are talking about Australia, South Africa or any country in the world, if there is going to be true democracy, then the people must have the right to challenge the government, be aware of its actions and the reason for taking those actions and hold the government accountable for what it does or doesn’t do.
