Parliament - An internal parliamentary note listing draft laws passed in the legislature's fourth term sparked unfounded rumours on Thursday that the Protection of State Information Bill had been signed into law, a spokesman said.
“It was an internal e-mail, referring to bills passed. This is how confusion arose,” Luzuko Jacobs told Sapa.
“The bill has not been signed by the president.”
The National Assembly in November passed the bitterly-contested official secrets legislation with a host of technical amendments, after President Jacob Zuma sent it back to MPs for review.
Critics have called for a comprehensive rewrite and reiterated threats to challenge the law in the Constitutional Court if Zuma were to sign it in its present form.
Sapa