R2K 4 SA
Article by: Isaac Smoler Schatz
On Tuesday, May 21st, we went to the Right2Know Campaign office in Braamfontein, Johannesburg. The organization's core tenets focus on protest rights, communication rights, and participation in civil society. The scope of activities and projects in progress span from organizing protest marches in the Gauteng Province (which contains Johannesburg and Pretoria), driving litigation proceedings against telecom corporations and government agencies, and providing legal consulting and support for under-served groups.
We had the opportunity to meet with Thami Nkosi, Gauteng Province Campaigns Organizer, who explained the organization’s mission, some of the actions they’ve taken so far, and insights into the dense political history of South Africa’s young democracy. Although he condemned many practices by both politicians and civilians, he did so in such an eloquent and well-articulated manner that his passion, frustration, and hope for what the future holds for political discourse in this country showed. He stated that despite the effects of corruption permeating the executive and legislative branches of government, the bastion of democratic hope is alive thanks to the judiciary. Right2Know seeks amendments to the Protection of State Information Bill and opposes other legislation and policies that broaden state secrecy. In the private sector, R2K advocates for closer government oversight and regulation of telecom giants like MTN-SA, Vodacom, and Cell C who are culpable for some of the lack of accessibility to information due to price fixing and unreliable service for rural customers. Thami praised the judicial system that has delivered critical decisions ensuring the integrity of the other branches of government for its accountability to the people of South Africa.
As a CSI major on this journalism program, R2K definitely appealed to me and got me excited about the kind of activism Thami and the rest of his team continue to demonstrate.
