ANC PUBLIC CONSULTATION ON THE PROTECTION OF STATE INFORMATION BILL 

27 September 2011

On 20 September 2011, the ANC Parliamentary Caucus took a decision to withdraw the Protection of State Information Bill from the Parliamentary programme, pending further consultations with interest groups, civil society and individual members of the public.

The need for further consultation on the Bill, in addition to the extensive public engagement that has already taken place under the now dissolved parliamentary Ad Hoc Committee, will afford particularly individuals and formations which are yet to have a say on the Bill an opportunity to do so. 

In this regard, the Office of the Chief Whip has established an ANC Information Bill Committee. The Committee will be responsible for coordinating public engagement with representatives from civil society, non-governmental and community-based organisations and interested individuals on the draft bill. 

Public meetings, the details of which will be communicated in due course, will be held in all the provinces to garner inputs from members of the public. This will ensure that we do not only listen to the views of well-financed lobby groups with means to travel to Cape Town, but also those of ordinary people in the remotest villages.

The ANC Study Group on the Protection of State Information Bill will, on the other hand, consider both oral and written submission from interested parties in Parliament. To this effect, the Office of the Chief Whip has established a dedicated Information Bill Unit, which will serve as the secretariat to the Study Group. This Unit is tasked with, amongst others, receiving and collating submissions on the draft Bill for consideration.

Submissions on the Protection of State Information Bill may be emailed to the Unit on: [email protected] or faxed to: 086 7316737. 

Submissions can also be posted to: ANC Information Bill Office, Parliament of the Republic of South Africa, P O Box 15, Cape Town, 8000.

Telephonic enquiries can be made to the Information Bill Office Coordinator, Mr S Ntushelo, at 021 403 2643. 

Members of the Public can also register their comments on our official Facebook page: ‘African National Congress (Parliament)'.

Statement issued by Moloto Mothapo, The Office of the ANC Chief Whip, ANC Parliamentary Caucus, Parliament, September 27 2011

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