Melo Media, Friday, 10th November, 2023
Today, the Minister of Information and Media, Cornelius Mweetwa, introduced the Access to Information (ATI) Bill 24 of 2023 to parliament. This marks the first reading of the bill.
The ATI bill, which has been eagerly anticipated, has been presented to Parliament for consideration. According to Mr. Mweetwa, the bill seeks to designate the Human Rights Commission as an oversight institution for matters concerning access to information. It also aims to establish the right to access information while also outlining its limitations.
According to Mr. Mweetwa, the bill aims to establish procedures for processing information requests and ensure the right to access information, as guaranteed by international conventions such as the United Nations Convention against Corruption and the African Charter on Human and People’s Rights. The bill also addresses related matters and issues connected to the aforementioned objectives.
Speaker of the National Assembly, Nelly Mutti, has instructed the Committee on Media, Information and Communication Technologies to submit a report on the bill to the house by Thursday, December 7, 2023.
