Jacques Pauw a victim of SA’s ‘democracy’

These days, it is all too easy to forget that we live in a democracy – a democracy once hailed as a beacon of hope and a shining example of how peaceful transformation could unite and rebuild a broken nation.

However, instead of building on this solid foundation that gave us bragging rights on the world stage, we have steadily descended into the realms of a mafia state, where thuggery, intimidation and increased control are the order of the day – and that’s coming down from government.

It is becoming increasingly clear that as a citizen of this country, one should certainly be careful of what one thinks, says and writes. Not too dissimilar to what was once the norm in the Soviet Union or what is currently being practiced in tin-pot dictatorships such as Zimbabwe.

Author and investigative journalist Jacques Pauw is the latest to face the wrath of the state apparatus for writing an explosive book called The President’s Keepers, in which he makes many damning allegations against President Jacob Zuma.

Pauw’s book claims that Sars commissioner Tom Moyane was shielding Zuma from tax obligations related to fringe benefits when public money was used to renovate Nkandla. Thus far, Pauw and his publishers have received a cease-and-desist letter from the State Security Agency (SSA) and a threat of legal action unless further distribution of the book is halted.

Are legal threats as bad as it’s likely going to get? Judging by recent trends, Pauw should expect things to get far worse and uncomfortable for him. After all, it is never a good idea to criticise The Honourable Jacob Zuma. Not in this democracy. Just ask Makhosi Khoza. And all she did was call him a bad president.

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