The ANC has called the Democratic Alliance's (DA) digital campaign against the Protection of State Information Bill just another “brainless campaign by [DA leader Helen] Zille”.
The ruling party says the protest action against the pending law - commonly referred to as the Secrecy Bill - is “absurd and unhelpful”.
“It is a tragic irony that a leading opposition party in Parliament consistently undermines the Parliamentary processes and conducts itself like an overzealous lobby group.”
It adds that the DA's campaign, which includes encouraging people to copy and e-mail its letter to president Jacob Zuma, is not only unhelpful to the current Parliamentary process on the Protection of State Information Bill, but “a serious affront to the intelligence of South Africans”.
“Encouraging people to merely parrot a few party lines, without offering any specific suggestion, is a typically condescending and supremacist attitude the DA normally takes when relating to people. It suggests that people have no capacity to make an intelligent assessment of the Bill and make appropriate proposals.”
It adds that people wishing to make specific proposals on the Bill's clauses will be given an opportunity to do so at the public consultation process, which the National Council of Provinces (NCOP) has committed to undertake.
The ruling party calls on all parties in Parliament, civil society organisations, community-based organisations, all interested stakeholders and individual members of the public to take advantage of the opportunity, which the NCOP will provide on the Bill.
“People must ignore such a self-defeating campaign, which is just the latest in a series of Zille's absurd and brainless political campaigns.”
Digital battle
The DA this week launched its e-mobilisation campaign protesting the Secrecy Bill, which was voted on by the National Assembly last month. The majority of Parliamentary members voted in favour of the proposed law.
The official opposition aims to stop the Bill in its current form.
“The DA has consistently argued for the inclusion of a 'public interest' defence clause, to protect those who possess or publish information which is in the public interest,” says Zille.
The DA hopes to use the digital campaign to get South Africans to pressure the government into withdrawing the Bill.
Zille signed a generic letter to the president, which she encourages all South Africans to download from the DA's Web site, sign, and e-mail to the president's office.
“We will also be signing a petition that we will send to the president if the Bill is passed through the National Council of Provinces without the necessary amendments, asking him not to sign the Bill into law.
“South Africans can also help by registering their concerns with the Presidential Hotline on 17737, or by organising a flash mob to raise public awareness and support around this issue.”
The DA has already staged seven flash mobs at events around the country, and has at least 40 more planned in the coming months.
“Should all other avenues be exhausted, we will invoke Section 80 of the Constitution for the first time in South Africa's history. Section 80 allows members of Parliament to refer a Bill directly to Constitutional Court, should such an application be supported by at least one-third of the members of the National Assembly, and be made within 30 days of the president assenting to and signing the Act,” says the DA leader.
Related story:
DA fights Secrecy Bill online
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