34 ANC MPs absent from info bill vote

Thirty-four ANC MPs were absent from the National Assembly on Tuesday during the vote on the contentious Protection of Information Bill, the minutes of proceedings show.

This was despite the ANC imposing a three-line whip for the vote, making attendance compulsory.

Speaker Max Sisulu - the presiding officer during the vote - did not vote, as is parliamentary tradition.

The outcome of the vote was 229 votes in favour of the bill and 107 against, and two abstentions.

ANC MP Gloria Borman was the only ruling party member in the House to abstain. The other abstention was that of Stanley Ntapane, of the United Democratic Movement.

Among the ANC absentees were Winnie Madikizela-Mandela and Salam Abram, both reportedly ill.

Others not present included the two recently sacked ministers, Gwen Mahlangu-Nkabinde and Sicelo Shiceka, while the names of prominent MPs Ben Turok, Vytjie Mentor and Eric Mtshali also do not appear on the list of those who voted in favour.

Most of the other absentees are backbenchers.

A number of ministers and deputy ministers also did not attend but are likely to have been excused because of other commitments.

They included Sport and Recreation Minister Fikile Mbalula and his deputy, Gert Oosthuizen, who were attending the national sport indaba in Midrand.

Surprisingly, Inkatha Freedom Party MP Mario Oriani-Ambrosini's name also does not appear on the list of votes against, despite him having made the IFP's declaration of vote from the podium just ahead of the vote being taken.

IFP leader Mangosuthu Buthelezi was also not present for the vote, as were a number of Democratic Alliance and Congress of the People MPs, along with others from the smaller parties.

The Witness reported that inquiries to the office of ANC chief whip Mathole Motshekga revealed that the truants need not anticipate any steps against them.

It also reported that Turok, one of the ANC's leading free-thinkers and a veteran who played a big part in the writing of the 1955 Freedom Charter, slipped out of the Assembly as voting time approached.

Motshekga's spokesman, Moloto Mothapo, said several ANC MPs had requested leave of absence "because they are ill or abroad", the Witness reported.

He would not, however, disclose who had stayed away unexpectedly.

According to Eyewitness news, Borman said she could not vote for the bill as she believed it was an obstacle in the fight against corruption.

"It wasn't an easy decision. I am a very committed ANC member and a very proud one.

"And the other thing I need to say to put this whole thing into context is that I don't believe this piece of legislation is the evil thing it was portrayed as in the media," she reportedly said.

The SABC quoted Turok as having said there had been many amendments to the bill and that many MPs did not understand the latest version.

"What alarms me is that different people are placing different interpretations on this legislation.

"I think we should go forward and take more time and ensure that we all have the same understanding of the purpose of the bill.

"The National Council of Provinces should delay it; we need another six months, we need a lot more consultation and we need that people, the public, should read the damn thing," he said.