Right2Know Campaign

Right2Know Campaign
Name	Right2Know Campaign
Type	Non-profit activist coalition
Founded	2010
Location	South Africa
Key people	Zackie Achmat; Kumi Naidoo; Thembela Kepe
Focus	Access to information, transparency, anti-corruption, civil liberties

Right2Know Campaign is a South African activist coalition formed in 2010 to promote access to information, transparency, and accountability in public life. The campaign mobilizes civil society, media, legal actors, and grassroots movements to challenge secrecy in institutions, advocate for freedom of expression, and oppose corruption. It operates through public education, litigation, protests, and partnerships with local and international organizations.

History

Right2Know emerged from a network of South African activists, lawyers, journalists, and public interest groups responding to controversies over secrecy and lack of accountability in post-apartheid institutions. Founders and early supporters included public figures linked to Treatment Action Campaign, Civil society, Helen Suzman Foundation, and activists associated with Zapiro, Corruption Watch (South Africa), and legal scholars influenced by Constitution of South Africa jurisprudence. The coalition developed amid debates involving political leaders connected to African National Congress, Jacob Zuma, and controversies that invoked attention from international figures like Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch, and media outlets including Mail & Guardian, Daily Maverick, and Reuters.

Early campaigns intersected with events tied to public inquiries such as the Marikana massacre aftermath, disputes over Nkandla spending, and high-profile investigations into public procurement linked to entities like Eskom and Transnet. The movement drew support from a range of organizations including Open Democracy, Transparency International, Article 19 (organization), Media Monitoring Africa, and civil rights figures comparable to Nelson Mandela in moral authority, while engaging scholars from institutions like University of Cape Town, University of the Witwatersrand, and Stellenbosch University.

Objectives and Campaigns

Right2Know's stated objectives include promoting access to information laws, defending whistleblowers, expanding media freedom, and opposing secrecy in state and corporate affairs. Campaign initiatives have targeted legislative instruments such as debates around amendments to the Promotion of Access to Information Act, interactions with judicial processes involving the Constitutional Court of South Africa, and advocacy before bodies like the Human Rights Commission (South Africa). The coalition partners with groups active in areas associated with Freedom of the Press Foundation, Reporters Without Borders, and networks parallel to Open Society Foundations and Ford Foundation.

Campaigns addressed transparency in sectors dominated by companies like Sasol, ArcelorMittal South Africa, and state-owned enterprises such as South African Airways, engaging trade union allies connected to Congress of South African Trade Unions and community movements resembling Abahlali baseMjondolo. Public information drives included workshops referencing international standards like the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, and comparative examples from United Kingdom, Brazil, and India access regimes.

Legal Actions and Litigation

Right2Know has supported strategic litigation to enforce access to information and defend protest rights, working with law firms and litigators connected to precedents in the Constitutional Court of South Africa and provincial High Courts. Legal efforts referenced cases and doctrines similar to rulings involving Freedom Front Plus, Corruption Watch litigation, and principles advanced in matters like South African Broadcasting Corporation disputes. The campaign liaised with attorneys experienced in public interest law linked to institutions such as Legal Resources Centre (South Africa), Socio-Economic Rights Institute, and comparative litigators from American Civil Liberties Union, Public Interest Litigation Clinic, and European Court of Human Rights practice.

Actions included challenging excessive secrecy, defending journalists from prosecutions invoking statutes analogous to Protection of State Information Bill, and intervening in proceedings concerning whistleblowers akin to Edward Snowden-related debates. Litigation strategies mirrored global public-interest cases from jurisdictions like United States Supreme Court, Supreme Court of India, and Constitutional Court of Colombia to expand jurisprudence on transparency.

Notable Protests and Events

The campaign organised demonstrations, teach-ins, and solidarity actions that attracted participation from activists, academics, and artists associated with names such as Zackie Achmat, Kumi Naidoo, and cultural figures comparable to Johnny Clegg and Vusi Mahlasela. Protests responded to scandals invoking terms like State Capture, high-profile resignations similar to that of Pravin Gordhan, and controversies around surveillance and privacy comparable to cases in United States, United Kingdom, and Brazil.

Major events included national marches that coordinated with student movements akin to #FeesMustFall, labour actions paralleling Cosatu rallies, and media freedom days involving journalists from eNCA, SABC, City Press, and Sunday Times. The campaign held conferences featuring international speakers from organizations such as Transparency International, Index on Censorship, and Committee to Protect Journalists.

Organizational Structure and Funding

Right2Know functions as a coalition of autonomous groups and affiliated individuals, with coordination through a steering committee composed of activists, lawyers, and media practitioners associated with entities like the Legal Resources Centre (South Africa), Media Monitoring Africa, and grassroots movements linked to Ndifuna Ukwazi. Funding sources historically included grants and donations from philanthropic foundations comparable to Open Society Foundations, Atlantic Philanthropies, and international NGOs like Ford Foundation and Oak Foundation, alongside grassroots fundraising and membership contributions. The coalition maintained partnerships with academic centres at University of Cape Town Law Faculty and civil liberties organisations broadly connected to networks such as Global Transparency Initiative.

Impact and Reception

Right2Know influenced public discourse on transparency, contributed to policy debates around access to information, and supported litigation that shaped administrative practices in South Africa. The campaign received endorsements from civic organisations including Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch, and domestic think tanks like Institute for Security Studies. Media coverage appeared across outlets such as BBC News, Al Jazeera, The Guardian, and South African newspapers, while academic analyses emerged from scholars at Harvard Law School, Oxford University, and University of Cape Town.

Controversies and Criticism

Critics accused the campaign of partisan alignment or of receiving funding that could influence priorities, invoking scrutiny similar to debates surrounding Open Society Foundations and high-profile NGOs. Opponents from political factions linked to African National Congress supporters and commentators in outlets like The Sunday Times (South Africa) questioned tactics used during protests and the balance between transparency and national security. Debates referenced international controversies involving civil society in contexts such as Russia, China, and India about foreign funding and NGO influence.

Category:South African organisations