Swiss business has added its voice to the controversial Protection of State Information Bill in a letter to President Jacob Zuma.
On Tuesday, the president of SwissCham, which represents Swiss businesses in South Africa wrote to Zuma expressing reservations about the ANC’s decision to discuss the processing of the bill through the party’s internal committee. Jürg Schalch said “such consultations were circumventing the public element indispensable to any democratic process”.
“We nevertheless call on that party’s committee to take heed of the objections that have been raised against the bill, including the vital objection that no public-interest defence to protect journalists and other whistleblowers was included in the bill as finalised by the parliamentary committee,” Schalch said.
He admitted certain concessions were made, but said far too little had been done to “allay fears of the weakening of journalists’ and whistleblowers’ rights and abilities to expose corruption and malfeasance, even if in so doing they make use of classified information.” He said that if the government went ahead, the bill had the potential of undermining the values of good citizenship.
“Whistleblowers and a free press are among the most important checks and balances that keep democracy sound and healthy,” he further wrote.
He also said the bill would discourage other countries from investing in South Africa. - The Star