Public hearings on Communications Bill

THE National Council will hold public hearings on the controversial Communications Bill from Monday until Wednesday, after it referred the draft legislation to one of its Standing Committees for perusal.

The hearings start at 10h00 on MondayThe Committee has invited newspapers, mobile communications and telecommunications companies as well as the Ministry of Information and the Namibia Central Intelligence Service (NCIS) to the public hearings to make submissions about the Bill. The Media Institute of Southern Africa (Misa), the Office of the Attorney General, the Office of the Ombudsman, the Legal Assistance Centre, the Council of Churches, the Namibia Communications Commission, Unam and the Polytechnic were invited too.Members of the public may make oral submissions on Wednesday, September 9 from 11h15. The hearings will take place in the Conference Room (G4) of the National Council. The Communications Bill provides for interception centres, where all phone calls, e-mail and Internet browsing can be intercepted. These centres must be financed and equipped by the mobile communication companies and they will be manned by staff of Government’s secret service, the NCIS. Interceptions may allegedly only be carried out after a warrant is issued by a High Court judge. The Bill was passed by the National Assembly in July this year after a bitter debate and protest from opposition parties, whose MPs walked out when the Bill was passed due to the overwhelming majority of the ruling Swapo Party in the House.