Zuma to decide on harsh laws

President Jacob Zuma at the G20 Summit in Antalya, Turkey. 11/15/2015. Siyabulela Duda

President Jacob Zuma at the G20 Summit in Antalya, Turkey. 11/15/2015. Siyabulela Duda

Published Jan 18, 2016

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Durban - President Jacob Zuma has confirmed that he is being lobbied by various parties not to sign into law two controversial bills, one of which could see journalists jailed and the other the takeover by local interests of foreign-owned private security firms.

Anticipation of the confirmation or the rejection of the Private Security Industry Regulation Amendment Bill and Protection of State Information bills came as Zuma was due to fly to Davos on Tuesday for the World Economic Forum.

He will attend the annual gathering of politicians and the business elite in the Swiss Alps.

The president has for the past three years not signed into law the Protection of State Information Bill, which has been strongly criticised by the media and sectors of civil society.

He has also not assented to the Private Security Industry Regulation Amendment Bill, which was approved by Parliament in February 2014.

Zuma’s spokesman Bongani Majola confirmed that the president was still applying his mind to the two pieces of legislation.

“The two bills are still being considered by the president. The Presidency has received submissions from different stakeholders against the signing of the two bills into law,” said Majola. “The Presidency is thus still carefully considering all the submissions received on the two bills.”

Majola would not name the stakeholders that had petitioned the president not to sign the two bills into law or how soon he would make his decision.

Media organisations, opposition parties and civil society groups have been against the signing into law of the Protection of State Information Bill, saying it would muzzle the media.

The bill proposes tough sentences for people found with state secrets.

US lobby groups have also criticised the Private Security Industry Regulation Amendment Bill, saying that it would strip foreign companies of their businesses in South Africa.

The bill proposes that foreign-owned security firms must give up 51% of their stake to local companies.

Former minister of police Nathi Mthethwa introduced that bill to limit the ownership of private security firms by foreign firms.

He argued that the practice was a threat to national security, and nowhere in the world were foreigners allowed to control the private security industry in a specific country.

This pitted the government against the industry and foreign companies.

The private security industry is worth about R50 billion a year and employs more than 400 000 people.

When Zuma first returned the Protection of State Information Bill to Parliament for correction, there was huge a relief in the media and opposition parties.

But the amendments were of a technical nature, and the media and opposition parties still have objections.

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The Mercury

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