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The ANC has started convening “inter-Parliamentary caucuses” comprising of public representatives from the national, provincial and local spheres of government in each province to plan the Protection of State Information consultative caravans they announced on 27 September.

Everyone should remember that these three-ringed circuses and road shows have no status whatsoever. They are probably aimed at putting on a show of strength by mounting public gatherings of equal or bigger size than the Right to Know Campaign could muster. As with all ANC consultative exercises, a predetermined outcome will be presented as the voice of the people. Whether the result will be “support” for the remaining provisions that inhibit investigative reporting and exposure of intelligence agencies or whether an attempt will be made to roll back some of the opposition MPs’ gains remains to be seen.

Whatever the outcome, this process is in breach of all Parliamentary procedure. The redrafted Protection of State Information Bill is already on the Order Paper and before the House. The only way amendments, if any, could serve before Parliament is if a revived or reconstituted multi-party committee is established after a resolution taken by the National Assembly to refer the rewritten Bill back for further deliberation. The ANC MPs would then have to put the road show amendments before us for debate. However, the DA will insist that the proper course will be to advertise for a new round of public submissions from all South Africans on the (extensively) redrafted Bill.