Information is the currency of democracy.

Politics is something I don't pay much attention to. I find it, most of the time, as exciting as a conversation between teenagers about TV games.

The controversial "information bill", which was going to be discussed and voted on in parliament tomorrow though, is something I feel plays a huge part in our young democracy.

The main reason I don't follow politics, is that besides voting there's often not much I can do with regard to law and legislation. So I carry on with my life, and look for ways to work around with the system.

The right to freedom of speech, and the ability to question and expose those who consistently manipulate the system at the expense of the tax paying public, is at the very core of our constitution. It also begs question as to why this bill would be legislated unless there was information to hide.

The ability to win a negotiation with anyone, is massively increased when you have relevant information. Without information we'd be left with an equation which looks like this ...

(R20m home Sandton + luxury Range Rover SUV + home Limpopo)  = R20, 000 per month + X

You can quickly solve for X by guessing the value of SUV and Limpopo home and come up with a value, something like this:
+- R30, 000, 000 = R20, 000pm + X

Without  much more maths you can quickly see X is a VERY large number, and is impossible to understand without any other information.

Fortunately, up till now we've had access to information, which gives us an idea of how we get to X. Most of us know this as another simply mathematical formula called "tender irregularities"
In our government this mathematical formula, can most often be used to calculate that tricky and hard to understand X.

I've been into many maths exams completely under-prepared, and trying to solve X, left me feeling sick to my stomach and the same sweaty palms I had the day my Nan drove me as a young boy into town in her Datsun bakkie.

I'm stoked that the decision discuss and vote on this bill has been delayed (for now). However should our media be muzzled with with the legislating of this bill, we may not be as lucky as the young man that (just in time) saw my Nan drive straight through the 4 way stop which has been there for 40 odd years!