Deputy Speaker, the ANC rise in support of the Promotion of Access to Information Amendment Bill. The Principle Act which is the Promotion of Access to Information Act, 2000, and this Amendment Bill, are both the reflection of the ANC's commitment to democracy, transparency and accountability.
The ANC has always understood that the core of democracy lies in the recognition of the rights of all citizens to take part in the society's decision making. This requires that individuals are armed with the necessary information so as to make informed decisions. Coming from an undemocratic and secretive apartheid era, where access to information was restricted from the majority of South
Africans, the right to vote and to access information as contained in section 19 (32) of our Constitution respectively, are some of the achievement of democracy that we enjoy today.
In other words, the Bill under consideration today, speaks not only for the fundamental rights of access to information, but also seeks to strengthen that which lies at the very heart of democracy, that being the right to vote. As we heard earlier, the Bill is before this House today, as a result of My Vote Constitutional Court judgement. We know that last year, the Constitutional Court asserted itself and asked this House to correct what it found to be unconstitutional.
Parliament is now ceased with the duty to remedy the defects and the defects are corrected in this Amendment Bill. The Bill seeks to implement the Constitutional Court's judgement as well as amending the Promotion of Access to Information Act, so as to regulate the recording preservation in availability of information in respect to the private funding to political parties in independent candidates.
In the judgement, the court went to great lengths in raising the dangers of secret private funding which could creep into our political and governance space to our detriment. It is also important to note that we consider this Bill today in the context of the Political Party Funding Act, passed by the fifth Parliament last year.
The ANC also wishes to express its appreciation to the public hearings that was held on the Bill, and that interested persons and bodies were all given an opportunity to be heard. This Bill now also includes, not only the declarations of monitory donations, but also sponsorships, loans made by political parties, provision of assets, etc.
So according to the Bill, the voters will now be able to access these records prior to an election. The ANC deems this Bill as necessary for many reasons. One is that it encapsulates the right to vote; it also encapsulates the right to make informed decisions when voting and as a result any measure that supports and reinforces the fundamental rights of our people is welcomed by the ANC.
The Bill will deepen democracy we believe in; usher in a new culture of transparent funding for political parties. Deputy Speaker, I allow me to end with a quote from the former President of the ANC, Comrade Oliver Tambo:
"The true facts are not always obvious. They often have to be looked for"
Indeed, an informed citizenry must ensure that they look for the true fact before they make their crosses on the ballot paper. The ANC supports the Promotion of Access to Information Amendment Bill. I thank you. [Applause.]
Question put.
Agreed to.