/ 24 November 2011

Sanef pleased with ad hoc secrecy Bill committee

Sanef Pleased With Ad Hoc Secrecy Bill Committee

The SA National Editors Forum (Sanef) has welcomed the decision of the National Council of Provinces (NCOP) to form an ad hoc committee on the Protection of State Information Bill.

“The NCOP now has an opportunity … to consider the ways in which the Bill fails our democracy, and to remedy them,” Sanef said in a statement on Thursday.

Sanef said it would made submissions to the NCOP on its outstanding areas of concern.

In terms of a motion adopted by the house, the committee will report to the council by April 8.

As was the case when a National Assembly ad hoc committee dealt with the Bill, the African National Congress will have a comfortable majority in the NCOP committee.

The ANC will have 10 members, the Democratic Alliance two, and the Congress of the People, Inkatha Freedom Party and Independent Democrats one each.

The Bill was approved in the Assembly on Tuesday despite vehement protests in and outside Parliament and was referred to the NCOP for concurrence.

Public interest defence clause
The Bill was adopted with 229 to 107 votes and two abstentions by the 400-member chamber.

The opposition parties are expected to attempt to have a public interest defence clause inserted into the Bill during the NCOP process.

There were 34 ANC MPs absent from the National Assembly during the vote.

The ANC said it was convinced that the Bill would play a constructive role in South Africa’s constitutional democracy.

However, the Congress of SA Trade Unions will go to the Constitutional Court should attempts to amend the Bill fail, its secretary general Zwelinzima Vavi said on Thursday, as it feels there is a need to introduce a public interest defence.

Democratic Alliance leader Helen Zille has also committed her party to fight the Bill on several fronts.

“This legislation has no place in a free and democratic South Africa,” Zille said. — Sapa

The passing of the Protection of State Information Bill came as no surprise, raising the threat to media freedom. View our special report.