SECRECY BILL PROTEST PICKETS

PRESS STATEMENT from Right2Know Campaign

This serves to notify all media that the Right2Know Campaign will hold protest pickets at six separate venues across South Africa on Tuesday 22 November 2011, and from 21-23 November in Cape Town.

DATES: TUESDAY 22 NOVEMBER 2011
(Cape Town: 21-23 November 2011)

PICKET 01:
Johannesburg 08h00 – 09h00
Chief Albert Luthuli House, 54 Sauer Street, Johannesburg
For more info, contact Dale McKinley on 072 429 4086
PICKET 02:
Vereeniging 10h00 – 11h00
The ANC Constituency Office in Vereeniging - 31 Senator Marks Avenue, Vereeniging.
For more info, contact Abram Moketsi on 0838787894
PICKET 03:
Soweto 09h00 – 10h00
Soweto, at the Hector Petersen Museum square, Soweto.
For more info contact Bongani Xezwi on 0710432221
PICKET 04:
Pretoria 08h00 – 09h00
In Pretoria, outside the ANC Constituency office in central Pretoria. Address: People's Bank Building, 200 Pretoria Street, Pretoria.
For more info contact Gaahele on 0796060654
PICKET 05:
Durban 18h00 – 20h00
Durban City Hall
For more info call Des D'Sa 083 982 6939
PICKET 06:
Cape Town
(Mon, Tues & Weds)
Monday 21 Nov 13h00 – 14h00
Tuesday 22 Nov 13h00 – 14h00
Wednesday 23 Nov 13h00 – 14h00
Outside Parliament, Plein Street
(Bring ID book or driver's license to gain access to Parliament.)

The Right2Know Campaign will picket at six separate venues on Tuesday morning - a day before the Secrecy Bill is due for its final presentation in the National Assembly - in a show of outrage at the ANC’s move to ram through the Bill without the promised process of proper and meaningful public consultation.
The return of the Secrecy Bill to parliament has taken place without any of the promised processes for further public consultation, to which the ANC committed itself on 19 October, when the ANC Chief Whip's office promised a transparent and clearly road-mapped process to "ensure that as many people as possible, regardless of their political allegiance, get an opportunity to have a say on the draft legislation before it is passed into law." Communities were promised ample notice of upcoming meetings to express their views on the Secrecy Bill.
Any public engagement has now been rendered meaningless by moving the Bill back to parliament, showing the Chief Whip's promises to be utterly empty. A number of civil society voices, including the Right2Know campaign, cautiously welcomed the ANC's proposal for further public engagement, and chose to accept in good faith the ANC's commitment to such a process. This move therefore completely betrays any good faith communities had in the process.
It is crucial to point out that whatever amendments made to the Secrecy Bill prior to the finalised version now tabled in parliament were all the result of the demands and sustained pressure from a range of civil society organisations, including the R2K Campaign. Regardless of these previous amendments, the Secrecy Bill which has now been returned to Parliament by the ANC without further amendment, abjectly fails to meet many of the most basic demands of the R2K Campaign as contained in the 7 Point Freedom Test
• Harsh prison sentences of up to 25 years, with no protection for whistleblowers except for the most minor offences. Even those who harbour whistleblowers may face prison sentences.
• Anyone who comes into possession of a state secret faces up to five years in prison if they do not hand the information to police or security services.
• Last-minute drafting by the Parliamentary ad hoc committee ensured that the Secrecy Bill would trump the Promotion of Access to Information Act which promotes citizens' right to know.
• The Bill shuts off the state security agencies from any kind of scrutiny or accountability to the public.
• There is no independent appeals mechanism available to citizens who wish to access information that may have been classified as secret without justification.
The ANC’s insistence in pushing through with the Secrecy Bill in its present version, sees the dark clouds of the securocrat past gathering around us. What is particularly troubling is that this Bill abrogates the ANC’s own struggle history, its stated commitments to an open/transparent state and society and will provide the enabling (legal) framework/cover for the future use of State Security agencies for party political and factionalist purposes that could see South Africa moving backwards to the kind of secret society that so many fought so hard against.
The kind of unfortunate cheap politicking and name-calling that ANC representatives have engaged in over the last week cannot and will not cover-up for the hard fact that this Bill poses a real and present danger to our collectively hard-won democracy. Yes, we need a piece of legislation that can replace the old 1982 Protection of Information Act but no, this is not that legislation. The stakes are far too high for ours and future generations to allow this Secrecy Bill to become law; a law that has the potential to take us right back to the same secret society that we thought had been vanquished.
To voice our outrage the Right2Know Campaign will hold six separate protest pickets across South Africa on Tuesday 22 November. In Cape Town the Right2Know Campaign will picket outside of parliament from Monday 21 – Wednesday 23 November. We demand that the current version of the Secrecy Bill be withdrawn, that a process of meaningful public consultation must take place, and that the bill should meet the list of demands contained in the R2K 7 point freedom test.
For further comment contact:

National coordinator
Murray Hunter: murray@r2k.org.za or 072 672 5468

R2K Gauteng
Dale McKinley: drdalet@metroweb.co.za or 072 429 4086

R2K Western Cape

Nkwame Cedile: nkwame.cedile@gmail.com or 078 227 6008

R2K KZN
Desmond D’Sa: sdcea3@mail.ngo.za or 083 982 6939

R2K Eastern Cape
Ayanda Kota: ayandakota@webmail.co.za or 078 625 6468

www.r2k.org.za (Sign our statement)
www.facebook.com/Right2Know
Twitter: @r2kcampaign
Join the campaign - SMS 'TRUTH' and your name to 31332

The Johannesburg Press Club supports national efforts by various organisations aimed at convincing members of Parliament to not support the Protection of State Information Bill during a plenary sitting that starts in the National Assembly at 14:00 tomorrow. Tuesday 22nd November 2011.

Tomorrow is a sad day in the history of democracy in South Africa. But, it could also be a sad day for democracy... worldwide as this is a watershed moment in a country where so many has died for freedom and, where a decision has to be made in favour of democracy.

If, globally, in the very birthplaces of democracy, elected governments are being replaced by designated officials appointed by foreign governments, every citizen of South Africa must take heed and protest the case for intellect and integrity.

The bill has come a long way since it was re-introduced in Parliament in August last year.

Many organisations including the South African National Editors Forum, civil society bodies and social movements, trade unions, religious formations, academics and opposition MPs have managed to score very significant amendments while the Bill was being processed initially by an ad hoc committee. Many draconian and unconstitutional elements have been chipped away.

It does, however, remain a terrible law and the fight against it must be intensified.

After the vote the bill will be referred to the National Council of Provinces, which has the power to run its own consultation process and make amendments – so it is important that pressure is applied and kept up.

It is important that South Africans make a strong statement against the Bill tomorrow. It is even more critical for us in the media industry to do so.

We would appeal to all supporters of this initiative, particularly members of the media fraternity, to wear black tomorrow to send a strong message to the MPs who will be voting on the Bill in parliament that South Africa rejects any attempt to turn our democracy into a secretive society.

Chairman on behalf of the Executive Committee
Johannesburg Press Club

Matthew Stewart and Business Science

Most of management theory is inane, writes Matthew Stewart, author, most recently, of The Courtier and the Heretic: Leibniz, Spinoza, and the Fate of God in the Modern World. According to him if you want to succeed in business, don’t get an M.B.A. Study philosophy instead. It is not entirely coincidental that the rise in the glorification of Graduate Schools of Business roughly coincides with the decline in American business and finance. http://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2006/06/the-managent-myth/4883/1/

2nd QUARTER PROGRAMME - PARKTOWN & WESTCLIFF HERITAGE TRUST

APRIL - ALL DAY BUS TOUR 'RETURN TO IRENE’ AND BEAT THE TOLL ROAD! SATURDAY 2nd APRIL A further opportunity to experience the country charm of an area, rich in history and resisting, still, the encroachment of urban development. Enjoy lunch in the peaceful surroundings of Smuts House and absorb the atmosphere created by the achievements of the remarkable personality of Field Marshall Jan Smuts through an inside tour of his home (now a Museum). After a visit to the concentration camp cemetery (and fascinating talk by the present curator), a view of the original village, the day finishes with a guided visit to Irene Dairy Farm. Please note - If anyone wishes to purchase any of the delectable produce, the farm is now a “cash free" zone. Credit cards are accepted. Meet Janet Hughes and Clare van Zwietan at 08h00 as the bus will leave at 08h30 sharp. Park at the Sunnyside Park Hotel, 2 York Road Parktown. The cost is R290.00 for members and R340.00 for non-members which includes lunch and entrance fees into Museum etc. For more information telephone Eira Bond (weekdays from 09h00 to 13h00 on 011 482-3349. NB : BOOKING AND PAYMENT CAN ONLY BE MADE THROUGH THE OFFICE ON 011 482-3349 WALKING TOUR ‘HOUGHTON LOST AMONGST THE SAINTS AND ROBERT HOWDEN’ SATURDAY, 16th APRIL We simply could not cover all the lovely homes and the oak-lined streets we wanted to enjoy on our last trip to Houghton. This time we’ll be concentrating on Ash Street and St John Road, St Mark and St David with the homes designed by architect Robert Howden, though we shall include one designed by Kallenbach as well. Some rather grand houses on the tour and lovely gardens to enjoy before autumn takes a firm grip on the oaks. Meet Flo Bird and Candice Keeling at 14h00 and park at King Edward VII School - enter from St Patrick’s Road. The cost is R60.00 for members and R80.00 for non-members. For more information telephone Eira Bond (weekdays from 09h00 to 13h00 on 011 482-3349.

WALKING TOUR ‘ROYAL ROMANCES THROUGH THE AGES’ WEDNESDAY, 27th APRIL, THURSDAY, 28th APRIL, SATURDAY, 30th APRIL Join Dennis for a nostalgic look at Royal engagements, weddings and the occasional romance! These are special tours for those who did not receive an invitation to the Royal Wedding! Join him in a champagne toast to our newest royal couple, Prince William and Kate Middleton, who celebrate their wedding on 29th April. Formal dress is definitely NOT necessary, but as space is limited, each tour will be subject to a maximum of 18 people. Meet Dennis Adams on Wednesday 27th April (FREEDOM DAY) at 10h30 to 12 noon and 14h00 to 15h30, Thursday 28th April at 14h30 to 16h00 and Saturday 30th April at 14h30 to 16h00. Park at Darrenwood Village, corner 4th Avenue and 1st Street, Linden entrance in 1st Street for Units 50 to 183 – parking is limited so please double up if you can. Cost is R50.00 for members and R70.00 for non-members – which includes a glass of Champagne. Maximum number 18 per session. For more information telephone Eira Bond (weekdays from 09h00 to 13h00 on 011 482-3349. MAY WALKING TOUR ‘WATER TOWERS, HIGHLANDS AND RAND VIEW’ SATURDAY, 7th MAY This tour starts with a darling – a tiny corrugated iron cottage which must have arrived in a flatpack – do it yourself. You feel on top of the world looking across from this ridge to the Townsview Water Tower and the mine dumps to the west. Some exciting Art Deco blocks of flats Sam Remo, Helvetia Court and Diamond Court and then there are the gracious Westminster Mansions looking so pretty in seaside colours which come from an earlier era. Some parts are rather shabby but others are smart in their new paint. It is an easy walk – we have chosen the flattest route –while getting the best of the Yeoville Ridge. Meet Alex Parker and Raymond Cardoso at 14h00 and park in the grounds of Clayton House 43 Jolly Street Randview. The cost is R60.00 for members and R80.00 for non-members. For more information telephone Eira Bond (weekdays from 09h00 to 13h00 on 011 482-3349. PLEASE NOTE THIS TOUR MUST BE BOOKED THROUGH THE OFFICE ONLY – 011 482-3349 - AND PAY BY EFT OR BRING THE EXACT AMOUNT ON THE DAY.

-----oOo----- WALKING TOUR ‘NEWTON – YESTERDAY’S DOWNTOWN, TODAY’S MUSEUM TOWN … AND TOMORROW’S MODEL CITY’ SATURDAY, 14th MAY Newtown is bubbling with Museums which have some fantastic new displays for you to enjoy. They are mostly housed in grand and gigantic old buildings. This tour covers the industrial architecture and the history of the old Electricity Site and Fresh Produce Market as well as a visit to the new Geological exhibition at Museum Africa, sparkling with a sumptuous display of crystals, the Workers Museum which is an old Compound tracing life for men in Compounds from 1908 up till 1980. Then it will be time to admire the beautiful Turbine Hall, an industrial Cathedral and finish the afternoon off with the S A B World of Beer. Beer Brewing is a traditional occupation in Johannesburg and you get to taste the product as well. Newtown is also the epicentre of Johannesburg’s urban renewal, and an optimist’s view of the city of tomorrow. Meet Ed Coogan and Brian McKechnie at 13h30 in the public parking between Sci Bono and Worker’s Museum – from Jeppe Street turn left into Miriam Makebe Street and immediately right into the parking area. The cost is R90.00 for members and R110.00 for non-members which includes R35.00 entrance to the World of Beer. For more information telephone Eira Bond (weekdays from 09h00 to 13h00 on 011 482-3349.

WALKING TOUR ‘JEPPESTOWN’ SATURDAY, 21st MAY We are venturing back to a favourite historical area. The second oldest building in Johannesburg is the Church of St Mary-the-Less 1889 which we visit and where start the story of the Jeppe family and their name sake. Amongst the Edwardian shops there are still Nineteenth Century gems The Grand Station Hotel no longer Grand or an hotel, but it is still there with memories of heaps of prawns and Norman’s Grill. There is even a sky sign advertising a bottle store, but on a charming three storey building it doesn’t offend the way the giant building wraps do today. Jeppstown boasts the biggest concentration of buildings over 100 years. They may be shabby, but they are the real thing. Meet Val Hammerton and Clare van Zwietan at 14h00 and park in Park Street between Madison and John Page Drive alongside the Park. We have organised car guards. The cost is R60.00 for members and R80.00 for non-members. For more information telephone Eira Bond (weekdays from 09h00 to 13h00 on 011 482-3349.

BUS TOUR ‘CELEBRATING THE SCOTTISH PIONEERS’ SATURDAY, 28th MAY Spend the day with us as we trace the immense contribution made by the Scots in the development of Johannesburg, from H.B. Marshall's Marshall's Township and his other interests to some of the Presbyterian churches, Scottish memorials, homes and activities. Many of our suburbs were developed by the Scots - Craighall, Blairgowrie to name a few, and no tour would be complete without a drive through Kensington. We will finish at The View to look at their magnificent restoration and their bar will be open - drinks for your own account. Meet Winnie Job and Dennis Adams at 09h30 for prompt departure at 10h00 and park at the Sunnyside Park Hotel, 2 York Road, Parktown. The cost is R190.00 for members and R220.00 for non-members excluding lunch and the afternoon drinks at The View. Please bring a picnic lunch! For more information telephone Eira Bond (weekdays from 09h00 to 13h00 on 011 482-3349.

JUNE BUS TOUR ‘CATCHING THE BRT’ ELLIS PARK TO THOKOZA SATURDAY, 4th JUNE Meet David Forrest and Pascale Petit at 09h30 for departure at 09h45 at the Ellis Park North Bus Station – PLEASE DO NOT BE LATE AS WE CANNOT WAIT. Safe parking has been arranged opposite the Ellis Park North bus station and for directions call Eira Bond on 011 482-3349. The cost is R130.00 per member and R170.00 per non-member which includes bus fare, all entrance fees but NOT parking and lunch. We suggest you bring a pack of sandwiches with you; otherwise you will be able to purchase a snack along the way. For more information telephone Eira Bond (weekdays from 09h00 to 13h00 on 011 482-3349. NB: BOOK THROUGH THE TRUST OFFICES ON 011 482-3349

BUS TOUR ‘BAKER’S EASTERN SAINTS’ SATURDAY, 11th JUNE Visit three of Sir Herbert Baker’s lovely stone churches in the mining towns of the East Rand goldfields – Benoni, Boksburg and Germiston. St Michael and All Angels, (Boksburg) was one of the largest he ever designed and in the Romanesque tradition he chose to suit the grander scale. Dr Doreen Greig described it as “displaying a high degree of beauty and drama”. St Dunstan’s Church in Benoni and St Boniface in Germiston have their own special character and it is especially interesting to see how many features they share and yet are such different buildings designed within the short ten years he spent in the Transvaal before sailing to India. This is an extraordinary opportunity for Baker fans to visit this trio of fine buildings that have stood the test of time and survive sometimes in straightened circumstances to be the pride today as they were to those early mining communities. Meet Winnie Job and Esmé Wiesmeyer at 13h00 for prompt departure at 13h30 and park at the Sunnyside Park Hotel, 2 York Road, Parktown. The cost is R130.00 for members and R150.00 for non-members. For more information telephone Eira Bond (weekdays from 09h00 to 13h00 on 011 482-3349.

WALKING TOUR WESTCLIFF, WOOLSTON AND THE WESTCLIFF STAIRS SATURDAY, 25th JUNE Starting from The Ridge School this walk goes along Woolston Road where there are some particularly important heritage homes, then plunges down the stairs to Westcliff Drive, stopping at Kanonklip and round the koppie to Wexford Road. There is a breathing space with Alfio Torisi’s post-Modern buildings before starting the climb up once more to Pallinghurst Road with Donore and Shinglewood and then up, up, up we go once more back to Woolston Road. If you have any breath left there will be time to look at The Woolsack now The Ridge School. The elements and qualities chosen by some modern architects respond to the Westcliff ridge and architectural tradition of Arts and Crafts. Meet William Gaul and Ed Coogan at 14h00 and park at The Ridge School, Woolston Road, Westcliff where safe parking has been organised. The cost is R60.00 for members and R80.00 for non-members. For more information telephone Eira Bond (weekdays from 09h00 to 13h00 on 011 482-3349.

ON THE OCCASION OF KRYNAUW NEL’S GOLDEN JUBILEE CELEBRATIONS AT THE ELEGANT CHEZ GIRARD

SPEECH BY MIXAEL DE KOCK, 25 FEBRUARY 2011


Ladies and Gentleman; Friends and Family

Krynauw asked me - after his flesh-and-blood brother has spoken on behalf of the family this evening - to say a few words and propose the toast to his good health. And, I have to admit that secretly I am hugely flattered, for that means I am now publicly being acknowledged as his virtual brother!

At the same time it can be said that Krynauw is either very trusting or under the misguided impression that I am very discreet. Whichever, I am most honoured to be standing here next to him at this very special and elegant celebration tonight, calling on you to ponder with me a few ideas I had scribbled down this afternoon.

Despite mainstream financial analysts’ theory that gold has no growth prospects and no dividends, gold outperformed stocks over the past 50 years. As of the close yesterday (and actually before then), the 50 year returns for holding physical gold are much higher than the 50 year returns for the Dow Jones Industrial Average. This is not a joke and believe me, has serious implications for any investor that is actually trying also to turn a profit on friendships!

So, it would appear that it takes around 50 years for gold to prove its worth and, therefore, all 50th anniversaries - be these birthdays, weddings or the ascension to thrones - are called Golden Jubilees. Somehow 50 years is the period required for the full value of a person or an event or an object to become apparent and, therefore, it is a time for great celebration but, it is also a time to feel deep gratitude for the very value we are commemorating.

Now, in the year that I turned 50, I had to share my Golden Jubilee with that upstart Elizabeth of England – and, I must say, I was not amused. It is for that reason that today I checked the web and found that Krynauw is particularly blessed on the occasion of his Golden Jubilee in that he does not have to share his festivities with any other old Queen!

That, Krynauw, was the good news about your 50th birthday, the bad news is that, for all the advances in medicine, there is still no cure for the common birthday and they are going to recur with boring regularity for many many years to come. So, you might as well start enjoying every minute of every day – and especially now that you have become so rich in life’s experience and - as Oscar Wilde so aptly put it - no longer need to be led to temptation – seeing that you are quite capable of finding it yourself!

It is said that forty is the old age of youth; but I can assure you, that fifty is the youth of old age. And, while we can no longer make provision for a magnificent life and lofty dreams as we did when turning 21, 25 and 30, we are now perfectly positioned to ensure that the second half of our lives will be spectacular and also meaningful – and richly so right to the end.
Being 50 is all about positive thinking and, as we all know, while our friend Krynauw may engage us in an arguments about the existence of reality, the day the fan of life gets struck, he is the one with the real advice, the real support and the real love - and he takes care of each and every one of us in a very real and loving way.

Also, with all his training in Neuro-Linguistic Programming, his courses in Miracles and so many other of his philosophical pursuits, he, more than most of us, knows that age is strictly a case of mind over matter and has the unique ability to make it an insignificant part of his physical existence.

But Krynauw, from the mouth of your virtual older brother and, from one whom very well knows that age is a damn high price to pay for maturity, my immediate advice to you is the following: You may age chronologically from this point onwards but it is your first and foremost responsibility to all of us to stay immature indefinitely!

There is much that I would have liked to say about the subject of Krynauw: his loyalty, his honesty, his integrity, his transparency, his responsibility to his work, his devotion to his clients, his sincerity to his friends, his intense love and affection for his family and their children – I can go on for weeks about his ability to deliver the goods (and the good); his appreciation for all of the arts; his understanding and respect for the soul of all living things; his surprising depth when it comes to appreciating the aesthetic and his profound respect and sacred approach to space and design.

But, Krynauw asked me to speak for 60 seconds only and, my time is long up!

So, it is left for me to remind you that, of middle age, the best that can be said is that it is a time when, hopefully, we have:

• come to know how to have a little fun in spite of our troubles
• know that if we must choose between two evils to pick the one we has never tried before
• that while in some instances it might be sad to grow old, it is always real nice to experience the ripening process
• that it is better to wear out than to rust out
• and, if we should survive long enough, eventually we will become revered. And, as an architect Krynauw, you will understand the subtlety when I refer to the reverence we have for old buildings ………

Returning to the Golden Jubilee and what gold symbolizes in 50 years of our human experience:

• Gold is both the color and the object that symbolizes justice
• It also symbolizes power, strength, and perfection
• The ancients used gold to symbolize balance in all things, and, in the world of architecture this equilibrium in design is known as the "golden mean."
• Gold is associated with another mathematical principle applied in architecture – considered by some as the divine principles “Phi” which is also known as the golden ratio in architecture
• And, gold has always been regarded as a store of great value.

If we value others, we treat them “as gold”. At school we receive “gold stars” for excellent work. As grown-ups we receive "gold cards" for being valued customers and we award “Gold Cups” to winners. We value moments of peace by saying that "silence is golden." In Greek mythology, "the golden fleece" is the valued, sought-after goal. The list is endless.

But the most significant part of the gold’s association with ageing is that it contains the word “O L D” which, in turn, is always associated with wisdom – and, the height of wisdom, in every culture and every civilization of this world we live in, is always referred to as "the golden age."

Thirty eight years ago, at my father’s 50th birthday party – a time when I was actively engaged in writing poetry! – I concluded the speech with these two lines from a work I had dedicated to him:

Die jare val soos blare:
Groen, goud, grys.

But, tonight is special and, therefore, I want to turn to the Shakespeare of Afrikaans to conclude with Van Wyk Louw’s magnificent words from his poem “Vroegherfs”:

Die jaar word ryp in goue akker blare
in wingerd wat verbruin, en witter lug
wat daglank van die nuwe wind en klare
son deurspoel word; elke blom word vrug,
tot self die traagstes; en die eerste blare val
so stilweg in die rook-vaal bos en laan
dat die takke van die lang popliere al
teen elke ligte môre witter staan.
O Heer, laat hierdie dae heilig word:
laat alles val wat pronk en sieraad was
Of enkel jeug en vér was van die pyn;
Laat ryp word Heer, laat U wind waai, laat stort
my waan, tot al die hoogheid eindelik vas
en nakend uit my teerder jeug verskyn.

Ladies and gentleman, friends and family, please charge your glasses, be upstanding and, along with me, drink a toast of good fortune to our son, our brother, our god-father, our teacher, our architect and, our most treasured friend - Krynauw Nel’s Golden Years. What a great investment he has been for us all!

Whatever with the past, it has gone,
now the best is to come!

Mixael de Kock
Johannesburg, 25th February 2011