'Secrecy bill' special committee to meet next week

Last year the African National Congress (ANC) used its majority to force the bill through the National Assembly with all opposition parties voting against it. Now the opposition and civil society organisations are hoping the desired changes to the bill can be made during the NCOP part of the parliamentary process.

At issue are the harsh penalties that apply to the possession of classified information and the absence of a public-interest defence to protect journalists and whistle-blowers who reveal classified information in the interest of the public. The NCOP has already indicated that it will hold public hearings in all nine provinces. This follows a stinging rebuke, by National Assembly ad hoc committee chairman Raseriti Tau, of the Congress of South African Trade Unions (Cosatu) and Public Protector Thuli Madonsela and a delegation of MPs.

Tau said the NCOP had noted with "utmost concern and discontent" the reports of parallel engagements between Public Protector Thuli Madonsela, some civil society groups and a delegation of MPs to discuss matters relating to Parliament's processing of the bill. "The parallel engagements outside the ad hoc committee on the Protection of the State Information Bill are contemptuous of the legislative authority of Parliament, particularly that of the NCOP, as outlined in section 44 of our constitution," Tau said. He appealed to civil society groupings and government entities that have an interest in the bill, to express their views or make submissions to the ad hoc Committee on Protection of State Information, Businessday.co.za says.

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