Hundreds of people packed the Umlazi Cinema Hall for the National Council of Province's hearings into the bill, which will make it a criminal offence to reveal classified state information.
A man, who identified himself as Richard Hlophe, was booed when he took the floor in support of the bill. Some used rude hand gestures signalling that he should leave the stage.
This was after the man had said those opposing the bill were angry over "nothing" and that the government should not be discussing intelligence matters with the public "who know nothing about intelligence".
He was cut short when a group of youths booed him and made hand gestures, forcing chairman Raseriti Tau to step in.
"I am not a lecturer or a teacher and, as such, I might not be able to handle learners. Please behave. You can't make such hand gestures to someone old enough to be your father," he warned.
But his warning was ignored because Fezile Sahlile, of the Young Communist League, was booed by a section of the crowd when he accused the media and civil society of misleading the public.
"We support the bill because you see the news in the media, but you don't know how it got there. It's often said that reliable sources gave the information and we cannot let that to continue happening when some of the information tarnishes the image of the person.
"Those who claim to represent civil society are always against the government. Why don't they contest elections so they can be voted into power," he said.
KwaZulu-Natal SACP treasurer Mbuyiseleni Mathonsi said the party supported the bill, although the "process has been a bit clumsy".
"We know that the scope of the bill has not been handled properly, but we support it," he said.
Speaking amid loud cheering from the crowd, Samkelo Maseko said: "This bill is taking us back to the apartheid era and is indicative of how much this country lacks leadership from municipalities to national level.
"We clearly don't have leadership that we can be proud of if such a bill is even proposed."
Kenneth Mthethwa said the bill was an attempt by certain people to hide their "dirtiness" from the public. "This bill will clearly protect certain individuals and not all the people of South Africa," he said.
Mzo Gumede urged President Jacob Zuma not to sign the bill.
"The day President Zuma signs this bill into law will be a dark day in South Africa. It cannot be correct to criticise the media for publishing information when it is the ANC themselves who leak and feed them the information," said Gumede.
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