2010-10-10 3:41:00 PM
The Democratic Alliance (DA) says it will petition the State Security Minister Siyabonga Cwele this week in protest against the Protection of Information Bill in its current form.
The bill seeks to regulate the manner in which state information may be protected. DA member of the ad hoc Committee on the Protection of Information Bill, David Maynier says the DA wants at least four amendments to be made in the bill. These include independent oversight mechanisms to review the decision to classify information and the public interest override.
"We are working hard outside Parliament and inside Parliament to achieve that goal. Next week professor Wilmot James, the federal chairperson of our party, will hand over a petition to the minister, protesting the Protection of Information Bill. But more importantly, our party under the leadership of Dean Smuts will be working hard to propose amendments," says Maynier.
Last month Cwele said the controversial proposed Media Tribunal and the Protection of Information Bill will not suppress the media. The Media and Print Industry have already slammed the moves as an attempt to muzzle free speech.
A campaign aimed at raising public awareness about the bill was launched in Cape Town in August. The 'Right 2Know' campaign includes a civil society statement endorsed by more than 180 organisations and 400 prominent individuals.
"I want to emphasise that there is absolutely no intention to gag the media ? that is why we are saying even those areas where we think the definitions are too broad, we will come with a proposal to narrow them, to protect what we want to protect. There is absolutely no intention on our part to limit the scope of the media," Cwele said.
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