N DOWNES 39556018,

ENN103F Assignment 1 (First Semester)

WRITTEN WORK: ESSAY

Contents of Assignment 1 (2012)

Contents of Assignment 1 table

Task 1: The Topic Table

Task 2: The ROUGH DRAFT, including corrections

Task 3: The REVISED ESSAY

Task 3a: Appendix 1. List Of References

Task 4: The Completed MARKING GRID

Task 5: Comment on the writing exercise

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ENN103F Assignment 1 (First Semester)

T ASK 1: T HE T OPIC T ABLE

Should a Government curb its citizens’ rights to freedom of

information?

The Argument FOR: The Argument AGAINST

A government should curb its A government should not curb

citizens’ rights to freedom of its citizens’ rights to freedom of

information because: information because:

 All Governments curb access  There is a direct correlation

to sensitive, classified or between corruption and press

matter relating to State freedom. The greater the

security information. This is corruption levels, the greater

to a lesser degree in a the requirement to keep

democratic system. information secret.

 It upholds its citizens’ rights  Restrictions encroach on its

to privacy. citizens’ rights to freedom of

speech.

 Defamatory and false stories  The citizen has the right to

on elected leaders could have know how their elected

a negative impact on leaders are performing and

international investors. This behaving. This will play a

could result in much-needed decisive role in future

external investment being selection decisions, based on

withheld. facts.

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ENN103F Assignment 1 (First Semester)

T ASK 2: T HE ROUGH DRAFT : INCLUDING CORRECTIONS

A GO V E R N M E N T S HO U LD CU R B IT S CIT IZ E N S ’ R I GHT S T O

FR E E D OM O F IN F O R M A T I ON .

There is nothing sinister in the standard Government practice of acting as

a guardian, for both the country as well as the citizens in their personal

capacity, of information in all forms. There is no Government anywhere on

this globe that accepts its citizens having absolute access to all information

freely (Cumbersome and not academic. ). Classified, National Security

Information, Trade Secrets and Personal Information about individuals are

commonly controlled by most Governments, regardless of the type of

political system. The role the Government plays, the impact of the rights of

its citizens as well as the impact this has and on the a country are

considered. (Roland O. Watson Lessons in Democracy 2008)

In practical terms the wordIn application, to ‘curb’ in this sense means is

to control, cut back, reduce or limit (Collins Thesaurus of the English

Language) the information made available to its citizens. It is in no way a

prohibition but rather a policy guiding the classification of information,

rights of access and methods of controls.

Further to this South Africa, as its cornerstone to democracy, has included

within its constitution a Bill of Rights (South African Constitution, 1996,

Chapter 2) ‘to juristic persons to the extent required by the nature of the

rights and the nature of those juristic persons’. (Promotion of Access to

Information Act, 2000 (Act 2 of 2000)). It is important to note here that

rights of access to information held by State, or public or private bodies, is

are limited to being ‘required for the exercise or protection of any rights;

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ENN103F Assignment 1 (First Semester)

and to provide for matters connected therewith’. This translatesd to a

control which says specifies that information is freely available as

longprovided as it is for the right purpose. (South African

Constitution,Section 36 of the Constitution.)

It is important to note that within the rights to freedom of information, the

rights of an individual are also protected by the Government-legislated

rules of access. (South African Bill of Rights, Section 14, Chapter 2: Bill of

Rights). In order to protect the rights of an individual, the Government

must curb and control the circumstances under which such information

may be accessed.

There are over almost 570 countries that have adopted similar detailed

Freedom Of Information (FOI) acts. (FI/Freedominfo.org, 20042006).

Security risks and threats of terrorism have lead to Australia making

changes to her FOI laws in 2005.

Yet another threat to a country is the effect of unleashed and biased

journalism. While there is an acceptable measure of freedom of the press,

bias, slander and sensationalising of personal fuedsfeuds of public figures

should be restricted and/or prohibited. (Born H, Caparini M, 2007). The

image of a country must be represented in an accurate light to the

international observers. Misconceptions will impact heavily on the economy

and thus on its citizens.

Freedom of information is a careful balancing act between the citizens’

rights of access and their rights to privacy, between the freedom of speech

and discursive speech, and between the Governments transparency policy

and the National security issues. The ‘rights’ of citizens to information is

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ENN103F Assignment 1 (First Semester)

oft misunderstood and is highly emotive because of its links to the falling

of a Democracy (

Sowunmi, F.A, et al 2010© Maxwell Scientific Organization, 2010)

Freedom of Information must be restricted, curbed and controlled within

the FOI legislation on the rules of access for the protection of the State

and its Citizens’.all the reasons here within.

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ENN103F Assignment 1 (First Semester)

T ASK 3: T HE REVISED ESSAY

A G OV E R N M E N T S HO U LD C U R B IT S CIT IZ E N S ’ R I GHT S T O

FR E E D OM O F IN F O R M A T I ON .

There is nothing sinister in the standard Government practice of acting as

a guardian, for both the country as well as the citizens in their personal

capacity, of information in all forms. Classified, National Security

Information, Trade Secrets and Personal Information about individuals are

commonly controlled by most Governments, regardless of the type of

political system. The role the Government plays, the impact of the rights of

its citizens and on a country are considered. (Roland O. Watson 2008)

In application, to ‘curb’ is to control, cut back, reduce or limit (Collins

Thesaurus of the English Language 2002) the information made available

to its citizens’. It is in no way a prohibition but rather a policy guiding the

classification of information, rights of access and methods of controls.

Further to this South Africa, as its cornerstone to democracy, has included

within its constitution a Bill of Rights (South African Constitution, 1996,

Chapter 2) ‘to juristic persons to the extent required by the nature of the

rights and the nature of those juristic persons’. (Promotion of Access to

Information Act, 2000 (Act 2 of 2000)). It is important to note here that

rights of access to information held by State, or public or private bodies,

are translated to a control which specifies that information is freely

available provided as it is for the right purpose. (South African

Constitution, Section 36)

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ENN103F Assignment 1 (First Semester)

It is important to note that within the rights to freedom of information, the

rights of an individual are also protected by the Government-legislated

rules of access. (South African Bill of Rights, Section 14, Chapter 2) In

order to protect the rights of an individual, the Government must curb and

control the circumstances under which such information may be accessed.

There are almost 70 countries that have adopted similar detailed Freedom

of Information (FOI) acts. (PI/Freedominfo.org, 2006). Security risks and

threats of terrorism have lead to Australia making changes to her FOI laws

in 2005.

Yet another threat to a country is the effect of unleashed and biased

journalism. While there is an acceptable measure of freedom of the press,

bias, slander and sensationalising of personal feuds of public figures should

be restricted and/or prohibited (Born H, Caparini M, 2007) The image of a

country must be represented in an accurate light to the international

observers. Misconceptions will impact heavily on the economy and thus on

its citizens.

Freedom of information is a careful balancing act between the citizens’

rights of access and their rights to privacy, between the freedom of speech

and discursive speech, and between the Governments transparency policy

and the National security issues. The ‘rights’ of citizens to information is

oft misunderstood and is highly emotive because of its links to the falling

of a Democracy (Sowunmi, F.A, et al, 2010) Freedom of Information must

be restricted, curbed and controlled within the FOI legislation on the rules

of access for the protection of the State and its Citizens.

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ENN103F Assignment 1 (First Semester)

T ASK 3 A : A PPENDIX 1.

L IST OF R E F E R E N C E S

Source Bibliographical Entry

Book Born H, Caparini M,2007, Democratic Control of Intelligence

Services: Containing Rogue Elephants (221, A brief

Comparison of Laws, Secrets)

Published by Ashgate Publishing Limited, Gower House, Croft

Road, Aldershot, Hampshire GU 11HR, England.

Book Collins Thesaurus of the English Language – Complete and

Unabridged 2nd Edition. 2002 HarperCollins Publishers 1995,

2002.

Internet Freedominfo.org, 2004, PI/Freedominfo.org Global Survey

2004: Freedom of Information and Access to Government

Record Laws Around the World. Available:

https://www.privacyinternational.org/article/pifreedominfoorg-

global-survey-2004-freedom-information-and-access-

government-record-laws-ar, May 12, 2004.

Last accessed on: February 23, 2012.

Internet Mission Journal: Secrets bill spurs South African press

By Robert Mahoney/CPJ Deputy Director

Available:http://www.cpj.org/blog/2011/12/mission-journal-

secrets-bill-galvanizes-south-afri.php, December 14, 2011

Last accessed on: March 02, 2012.

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ENN103F Assignment 1 (First Semester)

Source Bibliographical Entry

Internet Privacy International, 2006, l Freedom of Information Around

the World 2006 Report. Available:

https://www.privacyinternational.org/article/freedom-

information-around-world-2006-report, September 19,

2006.

Last accessed on: February 23, 2012.

Internet Republic of South Africa, The Bill of Rights of the Constitution

(1996). No. 108 of 1996, (Issue 32) (Section 36. Limitation

Of Rights) 1261

Available:http://www.info.gov.za/documents/constitution/19

96/a108-96.pdf.

Date of Commencement: February 04, 1997

Last accessed on: February 23, 2012.

Internet Republic of South Africa, The Constitution of the Republic Of

South Africa, (1996)

Available: http://www.info.gov.za/documents/constitution

Date of Commencement: February 04, 1997

Last accessed on: February 23, 2012.

Internet Republic Of South Africa, Promotion of Access to Information

Act, (act No. 2 of 2000). Available:

http://www.acts.co.za/promotion_of_access_to_information_

act_2000.htm. Last Updated November 2010.

Government Printers Copyright Authority 10119 dated 23

January 1996.

Last accessed on: February 23, 2012.

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ENN103F Assignment 1 (First Semester)

Source Bibliographical Entry

Internet Sowunmi, F.A, et al 2010, . The Role of Media in Curbing

Corruption in Nigeria Department of Economics, Lagos State

University, Ojo, Lagos. P.M.B. 0001, Nigeria

Available: http://maxwellsci.com/print/rjit/v2-7-23.pdf, May

20, 2010

Last accessed on: March 02, 2012.

Internet Watson R.O. 2008, Untitled in this source:

Available:
http://www.lessonsindemocracy.org/forum/govtresp.html.

Found March 02, 2012.

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ENN103F Assignment 1 (First Semester)

T ASK 4: T HE C OMPLETED MARKING GRID

Content Level:1

Organisation Level:1

Vocabulary Level:1

Language Level:1

Mechanics Level:2

T ASK 5: C OMMENT ON THE WRITIN G EXERCISE

DID YOU FIND THIS WRITING EXERCISE HELPFUL?

I found this writing exercise helpful because it gave me the

opportunity to practice and entrench the knowledge gained from

each lecture. In addition, I have learned to research objectively and

structure my findings in a manner that is easy for the audience to

read and follow. Thank you.

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