Lambasting the Minister of Presidential Affairs, Mokgweetsi Masisi, Mmolotsi pointed out that bills have been amended in Parliament before and the same should apply to the one under debate. He dismissed Masisi's argument that the Bill requires more work. South East South MP Odirile Motlhale criticised Masisi saying he was acting on orders as he evidently had no facts and legitimate responses to back his stated rejection of the bill. "The minister is a very intelligent man, if he has a point he is always clear and straight forward. Today it shows that he has no facts, he does not know what to say or worse, how to say it. He is just acting on orders," Motlhale lashed out.
"I have never seen any law that has given us more stress and tension as this one.
"The opposing side never came up with any substantial argument". He argued that government does not even state why it maintains that a data protection law should be a precursor to the FOI Bill. He added that the argument that the Bill does not protect personal and commercial information held by government is baseless as those issues are addressed in the Bill. "This Bill is very necessary for this country, it is just that the executive feels it should not have come up during their term," said Motlhale. Kanye North MP, Kentse Rammidi said the BDP government should just come clean and confess that they do not like the FOI Bill hence the hide and seek tactics meant to delay it.Rammidi said it is obvious that the FOI Bill is not part of the flagship of the ruling party's constitution and does not fit in President Ian Khama's 5Ds, hence the move to scrap it.
