ANC: 'Parliament isn't accountable to Madonsela'

Madonsela's office was quoted as saying she would investigate the absence of a crucial public interest defence clause in the contentious bill. She has since written a letter to National Assembly Speaker Max Sisulu to raise concerns about the reluctance to include a clause that protects those in possession of, or who publish classified information on the basis that it is in the public's interest to know.

The secrecy bill stipulates the type of information that can be classified and criminalises those in possession of such material and those who publish it.

Madonsela's latest actions have, however, angered the ruling party, which has told her to stop meddling in parliament's affairs.

ANC caucus spokesman Moloto Mothapo said if reports that Madonsela planned to investigate the bill are correct, this amounted to interference in the work of parliament.

"If media reports are correct, then the public protector appears to interfere in parliament's legislative process by questioning and threatening to investigate the institution's legislative decisions.

"The action of the public protector worryingly implies that parliament is accountable to the office of the public protector, when in fact the opposite is true," he said.

Madonsela reacts to claims

Contacted for comment yesterday, 8 December 2011, Madonsela said she had been taken aback by the ANC's reaction. She said she had not proposed an investigation into the bill as reported, but had written to the Speaker to express her point of view.

"I said I would not investigate because it is not my place to investigate, but it's proper to bring these matters to the Speaker as head of parliament. It is within my constitutional mandate to express a point of view.

"I account to the Speaker and if he felt at any point that I had overstepped my mandate he would have told me so," she said.

Source: The Times via I-Net Bridge