Aug 10, 2010 3:32 PM | By I-Net Bridge
The Democratic Alliance has sounded a warning bell about a series of bills and policy proposals which the party says will speed up the centralisation of power under the ANC.
Athol Trollip, DA parliamentary leader.
Photograph by: Esa Alexander
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Athol Trollip, the DA Parliamentary leader, told a media conference in Parliament that eighteen such measures "present a multi-faceted attack on the constitution".
Trollip was emphatic that many of the threatened changes are aimed at ensuring the continuing power and influence of the ANC despite its continuing loss of power in municipalities around the country, and "hopefully provinces" too.
The measures the DA object to include the Protection of Information Bill, the South African Post Office Bill, the State Security Bill, which amalgamates the country's intelligence organisations in to a single agency - "Just like the Bureau of State Security," he suggested.
He even objected to the Division of Revenue Bill, which he said would further centralise the regulation of funds flowing to provinces by attaching further conditions to budget allocations to provinces.
He objected to the National Development Agency Amendment bill, which will reduce the ability of the Agency to exercise effective governance - and increases the scope for corruption.
He said that the Public Service Broadcasting Bill which seeks to align the priorities of the SABC to "the development goals of the republic", granting wide ranging powers to the minister and Parliament to intervene in the affairs of the broadcaster.
Trollip also had a problem with the restructuring of the National Prosecuting Authority under its new NDPP Menzi Simelane, and also with centralising policy planning under the National Planning Commission in the presidency.
He said that the DA supports the idea of long term planning for the country, but that a single commission, close to the president means that South Africans will have a policy agenda imposed on them via an unelected body friendly to the ANC leadership.
Finally he took exception to the merging of Metro Police forces with the SA police service.
Times Live
Comments by Sonny
The ANC remains devious!
The enemy of my enemy is my friend!!
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