Round one of info bill talks held in Joburg

The following article was published on ine by iol news.

Government officials and NGOs were brought together by the Nelson Mandela Foundation in Joburg on Wednesday to discuss behind closed doors their differences on the Protection of Information Bill.

But none of the ministers or MPs on the invitation list, including members of the ad hoc committee discussing the bill and State Security Minister Siyabonga Cwele, whose department is overseeing the bill, which is before Parliament, were present.

Government spokesman Jimmy Manyi and his deputy, Vusi Mona, were on the list too, but could not make it to the meeting, which clashed with the fortnightly cabinet meeting.

The foundation’s Sello Hatang said the meeting “was designed as an exploratory conversation between representatives of key stakeholder structures of the state and of civil society”, and a position paper prepared by Iain Currie and Jon Klaaren from Wits University was discussed.

Journalists were not allowed to attend, but the paper, which will be revised to take into consideration Wednesday’s discussions, would be made public next week.

He added that “broad agreement emerged on what the key questions and issues are”.

Jayshree Pather from the Right2Know national working group, which brings together NGOs campaigning on the issue, said the meeting only “scratched the surface” but would reconvene within two weeks. – Political Bureau