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The National Council of Provinces (NCOP) Ad Hoc Committee on the Secrecy Bill must ensure that all South Africans are given the chance to have their voices heard on this legislation.

I will today be writing to the Chairperson of the Ad Hoc Committee, Mr Raseriti Tau, to insist that the drafting of a detailed public participation plan is placed at the top of the Committee’s agenda when it meets next week.

Mr Tau has assured South Africans that “ordinary citizens” in all nine provinces will be consulted on the Bill. Mr Tau clarified that “when I say all provinces, I don’t mean the big cities. We want to reach out to ordinary citizens.” However, “ordinary citizens” include urban South Africans, and especially those living in townships around big cities.

A recent survey by ikapadata suggests that 40% of township residents living in Cape Town, Johannesburg and Durban do not even know about the Bill, or the debate surrounding it. This makes the need for consultation with urban communities even more pressing. Side-lining South Africans living in urban parts of the country goes against the spirit of broad public participation.

When the Committee meets next week, the Democratic Alliance (DA) will use all available mechanisms to ensure the on-going debate on the controversial legislation includes the broadest possible public participation – in both rural and urban areas.

As it stands, the Bill will have serious implications for press freedom, and the fight against corruption. It will weaken our democracy. Should it be passed in its current form, every citizen stands to lose.

All South Africans – no matter where they live – have a right to have their voices heard in this debate. The NCOP committee has a duty to ensure that ordinary citizens, both in rural and urban South Africa, are well informed and consulted on the Bill and its potential impact on their lives.