Spy bill public hearings to kick off in Limpopo and wrap in Gauteng
Several lobby groups have already viewed provisions in earlier versions of this bill related to security vetting and spying on individuals as contentious.
FILE: Refurbishment after Parliament was gutted by a fire in January 2022. Picture: Supplied
CAPE TOWN - Parliament will officially begin public hearings on Monday, on a bill that will overhaul the country’s State security and, once again, separate it into two agencies: foreign and domestic.
The hearings will start on the so-called “spy bill” in Limpopo before moving to Gauteng later in the week.
More than five years in the offing, there are only a few months left if the sixth Parliament wants to get the bill passed before its term ends.
Several lobby groups have already viewed provisions in earlier versions of this bill related to security vetting and spying on individuals as contentious.
The ad hoc committee on the General Intelligence Laws Amendment Bill sat for the first time last November for an introductory briefing on the bill’s intentions.
This was just days before the former Director-General of the State Security Agency, Thembi Majola, left office after resigning.
Given the time constraints, members of Parliament (MPs) raised concerns that the committee would not be able to travel to all provinces to gauge public opinion on the so-called spy bill.
While a provision in earlier drafts that would have required the vetting of churches and non-governmental organisations has since been removed, lobby groups are still concerned about the impact of the bill on individuals’ rights to privacy.
Opposition MPs have also raised concerns about what constitutes a security threat – and how acting in the national interest should be defined.
Three days of hearings will be held in Limpopo starting in Musina on Monday.
The public can then have their say in Tshwane and Johannesburg on Friday and Saturday respectively.