Could pointing out ANC’s incompetence be considered treason in future?

We wonder if authoritarianism is contagious, or is our ANC government regressing to an ideological time when Stalinism – and its despotic methods – were considered the only way to save the “national democratic revolution”?

Certainly, our politicians have been falling over themselves to congratulate Emmerson Mnangagwa and his ZANU (PF) party for holding on to power in Zimbabwe in the face of multiple criticisms of the recent election in that country.

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And Joe Stalin would have been spinning with happiness in his socialist tomb to hear the ANC secretary-general describe the opposition in Zimbabwe as “imperialist puppets.”

It seems the ANC, in a version of the “reds under the bed” paranoia which was a hallmark of National Party rule, now believes that it has enemies everywhere and that it needs to impose the sort of totalitarian rules dictatorships use to silence any form of criticism, never mind dissent.

There does not seem to be any other way to interpret a proposed new law which would have all non-government organisations (NGOs) subject to mandatory security vetting by the State Security Agency.

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This would, absurdly, include bodies like churches. Or, perhaps not so absurd, considering religious groupings are not only the voice of our national conscience, but they proved effective in a multi-faceted campaign to oust a repressive government in the apartheid era.

The government says the intention is not to interrogate all NGOs but merely to crack down on “terrorist funding.” It also claims the proposed new rules align with what is common practice in Western democracies – a claim dismissed as a smokescreen by opponents of the legislation.

Then there is the vague talk about those who “pose a risk to national security interests” – but who decides what those are?

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Could simply pointing out the ANC’s incompetence and looting be considered treason in the future?