The committee which will shepherd the Protection of State Information Bill through to the next stage of its approval process in the National Council of Provinces next year has been announced. Parliament has elected 15 ad hoc committee members, 10 of whom are from the ANC, two from the DA and one each from Cope, the ID and the IFP.

The committee will meet next week to elect a chairman.  Something tells us the chair may not be from the DA, Cope, the ID or the IFP.

ANC opposition is calling for the amendment to several provisions of the Secrecy Bill which threaten to restrict access to information and freedom of expression. Without these crucial revisions, the bill as it stands has some patently unconstitutional elements in the eyes of its many critics. The ANC voted overwhelmingly in favour of the bill when it came before the National Assembly last week, but agreed to the appointment of an ad hoc committee on the legislation.

[Source: City Press]