ANC, DA, EFF believe new spy bill will prevent intelligence services abuse
The General Intelligence Laws Amendment Bill has been adopted by the National Assembly after just four months and will separate intelligence services into foreign and domestic agencies.
FILE: Refurbishment after Parliament was gutted by a fire in January 2022. Picture: Supplied
CAPE TOWN - In a rare display of unity, the main three political parties in Parliament have supported a new intelligence bill they believe will prevent the abuse of the intelligence services as witnessed under President Jacob Zuma.
In just four months, the bill - which had been in the pipeline for five years - has been adopted by the National Assembly.
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It came in response to a 2018 high-level panel review of the country’s security agencies.
The intelligence services will once again be separated into two agencies - foreign and domestic.
After slamming years of delays in bringing the General Intelligence Laws Amendment Bill to Parliament, the Democratic Alliance’s (DA) Dianne Kohler-Barnard labelled it “elegant” and said it deserved its place in the house.
“The bill before the house today [Tuesday] is what’s needed to reverse the evils of those truly awful years. It installs safeguards to protect our democracy and we’ve covered every conceivable base.”
The Economic Freedom Fighters’ (EFF) Mbuyiseni Ndlozi also supported the bill but called for more autonomy for the Inspector General of Intelligence.
“The EFF is alive to the abuse that characterised our intelligence services in favour of fighting internal political factional battles within the ruling party.”
Chairperson of the ad hoc committee that processed the bill, Jerome Maake, said he believes it provides for the proper functioning of the intelligence services while upholding civil liberties.