Intelligence Minister Dr Lindiwe Sisulu on Tuesday mooted the possibility of a comprehensive audit of pre-1994 government records and the replacement of the 1982 Protection of Information Act.
Introducing debate on her budget vote in the National Assembly, she said the recently-established classification and declassification review committee — responsible for developing new criteria for managing the protection of and access to information — had made much progress.
One of the challenges was putting into place a review process and mechanisms to appraise existing classified records to consider them for reclassification, declassification, and access.
The committee had already completed a project on international best practise, and studied a variety of submissions made by the public.
”From the progress report furnished by the review committee, I noted that most people want a comprehensive audit of the pre-1994 records to be conducted and the Protection of Information Act of 1982 to be replaced with a new law.
”We support this desire, which is receiving the [SA] Law Commission’s attention,” she said.
Turning to suggestions that the intelligence services were in breach of the Promotion of Access to Information Act over the issue of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission files, Sisulu said ”nothing could be further from the truth”.
South Africa had the most liberal law applying to the intelligence services compared to any other country in the world.
”[However] as we discharge our duties, our laws compel us to balance the disclosure of information with appropriate measures that will secure the well-being of the state, government, and its people.
”We are aware that access to information cultivates a culture of participating in democratic processes and the actualisation of the human rights of the citizens that are the foundation of our Constitution.
”But let me hasten to add that democratic accountability of this type goes hand in hand with responsibility, and it is our task to ensure that we do not succumb to the populism of those who have ulterior motives,” Sisulu said. – Sapa