All my godlike Photoshop powers aside, I swear that I have not edited this. This is exactly what appeared on the Wikipedia page for the ANC at 13:00 today.
For those not in the know, this occurred in response to yesterday’s Black Tuesday, when South Africa’s ruling ANC government, against monstrous political and public protest, forced through the Protection of Information Bill. Said bill has made it illegal for any private citizen, reporter or media house to be in possession of any documents classified as State Secret. Printing or being in possession of such documents can result in up to 25 years jail time, which is more than some murderers receive in this country.
There is no public interest clause. This means that, even if the documents in questions expose instances of crime or corruption within the government, those in possession of it may not argue that, by exposing those responsible, they were acting in the public’s interest. The ANC government has essentially forced through a law that legally protects them from investigation and exposure, and that punishes those that infringe upon this absurdity in the harshest possible fashion.
Critics have likened the bill to several Apartheid acts of yester year, all of which sought to control and suppress media freedom. It is, against all doubt, the greatest backslide that our country has suffered since the installation of democracy 17 years ago.
Small things like this Wiki post, however, give me hope. It may be incredibly misguided, possibly hopelessly naïve, but fuck it; hope’s hope.
Whoever did this is my hero of the day.
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