Rica is just an upgrade to our old apartheid nightmares

This week’s startling revelations from human rights group Right2Know’s latest report on surveillance that you are being spied upon should be taken extremely seriously.

At the centre of surveillance, according to the report titled Spooked, is Regulation of Interception of Communication Act (Rica) legislation that compels every citizen to register personal details before purchasing a mobile phone.

Murray Hunter of Right2Know said: “Members of the public should know that when they registered under Rica, they have been robbed of being anonymous, and mobile network service providers store their information for quite some time.

“When they want to put you under surveillance, they lie to the Rica judge that you are a criminal, then the judge easily signs the warrant, unwittingly authorising intelligence operatives to put you under surveillance. It is against this background that amaBhungane [an investigative journalism unit] has launched a Constitutional Court challenge on Rica, and Right2Know will be a friend of the court. This law is unconstitutional.”

The report focused on spying carried out on political activists, journalists and whistleblowers. Many journalists will tell you this is not new, and they knew their phones were tapped in the apartheid era.

Fast-forward to the present and journalists are fearful that someone is listening in on their sensitive conversations, according to the report.

In a day and age where corruption is rife, a strong media is needed. Whistleblowers are also essential to exposing this cancer called corruption.

President Cyril Ramaphosa needs to move fast to curb abuse of surveillance by spooks.

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