The National Assembly (NA) today approved the establishment of an ad-hoc committee to consider and report on President Jacob Zuma’s reservations about the Protection of State Information Bill. The ad-hoc committee must report to the NA by 31 October.
It will exercise its powers in terms of Rule 138. This rule relates to the powers of a Parliamentary Committee, among which are to summon any person to appear before it to give evidence on oath, to receive representations, petitions or submissions and to permit oral evidence on these.
The ad-hoc committee will also take into account the proceedings and all work of the previous ad-hoc committee established to consider the Bill.
The ad-hoc committee will comprise 12 Members, drawn proportionally from political parties represented in the NA, as is the case with all committees of the NA. This means that seven Members will be drawn from the African National Congress, two from the Democratic Alliance, one from the Congress of the People, one from the Inkatha Freedom Party and one to represent all the smaller parties.
Speaker of the NA, Mr Max Sisulu, today received a letter from President Zuma informing the NA that he has reservations about the constitutionality of the Protection of State Information Bill.
In his letter, the President expressed reservations about the constitutionality of clauses of the Bill, in particular 42 and 45.
The Bill was passed by Parliament earlier this year and referred to President Zuma for signing into law. It was referred back to the NA in terms of section 79(1) of the Constitution, which allows the President to refer a Bill back to the NA for reconsideration if he has reservations.
