DA seeks details of South Africa/China internet talks outcomes

12 May 2016

I have written to Deputy Minister of Telecommunications, Prof Hlengiwe Mkhize, requesting she release the agenda and outcomes of the closed meeting she is hosting on internet issues with the Chinese government in Durban this coming Saturday.

Her counterpart at the event is the Vice-Minister of Cyberspace Administration in China, Ms Xiujun Wang.

The meeting will follow a roundtable discussion on internet issues between the Chinese government and business representatives, as well as their South African counterparts at the Hilton Hotel this Friday.

Invitations have been sent to some Information Communications Technology (ICT) stakeholder organisations, and the topics to be discussed include eGovernment, eCommerce and cybersecurity.

The DA maintains that the Chinese are an inappropriate source of counsel in terms of the internet sphere. China has a dubious reputation as being one of the world’s most repressive internet regimes, clamping down on political opponents, journalists and citizens critical of the government. Added to this, China is also known as an enthusiastic cyber warfare practitioner. 

My concern about the outcomes of the intergovernmental talks stems from the Minister of Telecommunications and Postal Services, Siyanbonga Cwele’s refusal to name the South African and Chinese government representatives, most likely cabinet Ministers, who signed the ICT co-operation past last year.

What is suspicious is that the invitation to this week’s event reminds invitees of an agreement to work on cyber security.

A copy of that agreement, secured via a Public Access to Information Act (PAIA) application censored the names and signatures of the signatories. Repeated requests for the names to be revealed have been denied for ‘security’ reasons.

This obsessive secrecy rings alarm bells about what restrictive actions our ANC-led government plans for internet-based communication as its electoral prospects are severely diminished in the upcoming Local Government Elections. The DA will continue fighting for government transparency as this is one of the fundamental pillars of a democracy. We will not allow the ANC to stifle the democratic process by intimidating internet users. 

Issued by Marian Shinn, DA Shadow Minister of Telecommunications and Postal Services, 12 May 2016