BLACK TUESDAY!!!!!

So today is black Tuesday right... and for all of those wondering what the hell it's about well let me enlighten you....

The National Press Club has dubbed the day “Black Tuesday” and called on South Africans to don black as a form of protest; the Right2Know Campaign is organising multiple simultaneous pickets and Public Prosecutor Thuli Madonsela has set up a team to investigate concerns around the bill-<black tuesday being a reference to Black Wednesday in 1977 when two newspapers were banned.

As the original call to action read: “We appeal to South Africans to wear black on Tuesday as a form of protest. Even wearing black armbands is encouraged. Let's tell the government we are all opposed to censorship. It's crunch time. The nation needs to unite and stop this nonsense.” In addition, the National Press Club called on President Jacob Zuma not to sign the bill into law, even if it is passed by Parliament, and instead refer it to the Constitutional Court. The organisation also called on the ANC to make changes to the bill to bring it in line with our Constitution.

All indications are that the ANC will try to ram the Protection of State Information Bill through the National Assembly.

But we South Africans are not taking this lying down, there are hundreds of people protesting all over the country against the secrecy bill.

Here is what is abuzz on twitter!!!!!!!1

One Twitterer, @HRH_Nombuso, was glad that Twitter was showing its solidarity against the Secrecy Bill: "I love how everyone's involved with Black Tuesday & the Secrecy Bill. Good to know that Twitter's good for things other than pushing terror."

Tweeters who supported the cause gave their reasons for doing so.

Said @i_am_jobarrow: "Because this country has worked too hard and come too far to see history repeating itself."

Twitterer @KhulekaniMag wrote: "For the people living [in] municipalities that are slowly fading into ghost towns because of maladministration..."

Tweeted @Niquifruit: "You've gotta love SA. As a nation, we've seen too much injustice so we love our freedom and democracy. Don't mess with it."

@Brettpentland_s tweeted: "Metaphorically standing together against the POIB on Black Tuesday! This bill cannot be passed by a government strife with corruption!!!"

Some chose to quote the words of others, such as @Selina_dF, who tweeted: "'To limit the press is to insult a nation' - Claude-Adrien Helvétius."

Nelson Mandela was quoted by @hfourie146: "'A critical, independent and investigative press is the lifeblood of any democracy'",  while Albert Camus' words were quoted by @JackHammerEH: "'A free press can be good or bad, but without freedom the press will never be anything but bad'".

Even an animated spoof was quoted, with @Julienfievez tweeting: "As they say in Team America, 'Freedom isn't free. Freedom costs a buck-o-five and if you don't chip in, who will?'"

###Happy Black Tuesday sweeties…

Though I don’t think it would be that happy!!!!!!!!!!!!