Green light for hearings into info bill

IT’S ALL systems go for the planned public hearings on the Protection of State Information Bill after the finalisation of the programme yesterday by the ad hoc committee dealing with the bill.

Minor changes relating to logistical arrangements – and to ensure a balance between urban and rural areas – have been made to the programme after consultation with the nine provinces.

Committee chairman Raseriti Tau said the programme might be adjusted further to accommodate more requests, including one from the DA to include hearings in Khayelitsha.

The changes will now allow three days for the committee to deliberate on the bill after the hearings before it is adopted and tabled in the National Council of Provinces for consideration.

Hearings in the Eastern Cape, Free State, Gauteng, Limpopo, North West, Mpumalanga and Kwazulu-natal will be held next month, and in the Northern Cape early in March.

Hearings in the Western Cape, previously planned for the West Coast district, will now be held in Worcester and Oudtshoorn.

In Kwazulu-natal, a third district, ethekwini (the central area of Durban), has been added to the other districts of the Zululand District Municipality (Mondlo Township) and Ugu District Municipality (Harding).

In Gauteng, hearings have been shifted from West Rand district to Mamelodi in Tshwane, and hearings in the Sedibeng district will take place in Sharpeville.

In the Free State, hearings have been moved from the Ljweleputswa District Municipality to the Thabo Mofutsanyane District Municipality (Phuthaditjhaba).

In the Eastern Cape, a third district has been added. In addition to OR Tambo District Municipality and Nelson Mandela Bay Municipality, hearings will be held in the Joe Qadi District Municipality.

Specific locations will be determined on Monday.

DA committee member Alf Lees confirmed yesterday that he had written to Tau to request the inclusion of Khayelitsha.