tion after heated, national debates involving journalists, politicians, members of civil society and other citizens committed to the country’s development. The draft aims to ensure that the right to information is constitutionally enshrined and will contribute to the strengthening of democracy, improve governance and increase public participation; create the necessary mechanisms or procedures for effectively exercising the right to information; promote transparency, accountability and effective governance of all public authorities and private entities; and educate citizens about their rights. While these clauses are implicitly in the current Press Law, they will be more clearly laid out in the envisaged Access to Information Law. One of the articles of the draft law states, for example, that the response to a request must not exceed 10 days counted from the date of its reception, or 20 days in the case of the request being transferred to another entity. Ending without concluding While freedom of the press and expression continued in 2005, it was not a smooth ride for all media players. The mass media continued defending the voiceless, while providing room for debate on issues of public interest. With more commitment to ethics and responsibility, as stated by German sociologist Max Weber, we shall all win as a democratic country! So This Is Democracy? 2005 -78- Media Institute of Southern Africa