The Office of the ANC Chief Whip says it has noted with interest Helen Zille’s plan, which she announced in the media, to secretly lobby individual ANC MPs to vote against the Protection of Information Bill, which is currently before parliament.

"In line with our commitment to the principle of participatory democracy, the ANC has always remained open to any engagement either inside or outside parliament on critical issues affecting our society," the ANC says.

It says it is for this reason that the organisation has been leading public discourse and consultations on the Protection of Information Bill to ensure that the views of all stakeholders within society are taken into consideration when the Bill is tabled before parliament for voting.

"Indeed if Zille had confidence in the capability of her party’s MPs to convince the public on her party’s position on this Bill, she would not find it necessary to engage in secret liaisons with our individual MPs in an attempt to influence their decision. Her publicly announced plan to influence a parliamentary decision through secret deals with MPs under the cover of darkness sounds much like a product of an overzealous propaganda. It is interesting that Zille herself seems to believe in this propaganda," says the ANC.