DA petitions parliament and demands access to information

The Democratic Alliance (DA) marched to the front gates of Parliament on Tuesday to deliver a petition bearing over 28,710 signatures against the Protection of Information Bill.

“This is a democracy I fought for and I want to guard this democracy,” said board member Darren Smith.  “The ANC is chipping away on this [democracy] and one day there’s going to be nothing left.”

According to Parliament, the Bill aims “to promote the free flow of information within an open and democratic society without compromising the security of the Republic.” But members of the DA claim that the broad language of the Bill will prevent the media from serving in a watchdog capacity and exposing corruption within the government.

Though no member of Parliament formally received the petition, members of the DA ensured that the petition was delivered through the appropriate channels.

The Democratic Alliance is the governing party of the Western Cape and an opposition party to the African National Congress (ANC).

To read the Protection of Information Bill: //www.pmg.org.za/files/bills/b6-10.pdf

If you would like to voice your opinion on the Protection of Information Bill, contact your local Parliament Representative. http://www.parliament.gov.za/live/content.php?Category_ID=97