THE SA Communist Party yesterday revealed that its support for the Protection of State Information Bill stems from concerns about factions within state intelligence agencies.

So far the bill has been portrayed by the ruling party as a tool to protect the state against foreign threats.

SACP leader Blade Nzimande said yesterday that the party's central committee, which sat over the weekend, was of the opinion that factional leaking of state information posed danger to democracy.

The alliance partners - SACP, Cosatu and the ANC - are going to hold their elective conferences next year.

Nzimande said the country should take comfort in the fact that the SACP would remain vigilant to ensure that officials and politicians do not classify information to hide corruption.

"This bill will criminilise the false classification of information in order to conceal corruption," he said.

Nzimande said the committee was not worried about difference of opinions on the bill between the party and Cosatu members.

Nzimande downplayed the dual membership of some committee members who, in their capacity as leaders of Cosatu, opposed the bill.

Nehawu general secretary Fikile Majola, Sadtu president Thobile Ntola, NUM president Senzeni Zokwana, NUM general secretary Frans Baleni and Cosatu president Sdumo Dlamini, are also members of the committee.