AfriForum takes legal action against unlawful interception of communication

21 September 2021  

The civil rights organisation AfriForum today submitted a PAIA application to the joint standing committee on intelligence. This follows after Bess Nkabinde, retired judge of the Constitutional Court’s intelligence report revealed irregularities about police officers who, under false pretences, gain access to people’s private communication. On the basis of this, AfriForum instructed its legal team to investigate possible legal action.

The intelligence report was submitted to parliament’s joint standing committee on intelligence on September 10, and it pointed out, among other things, that the technology and systems used to monitor these applications and cases are outdated and unreliable. There is also no way to verify the applications for interception as the reasons given to motivate the applications are often false.

AfriForum’s legal team urgently demands answers to how many of the interceptions led to investigations, arrests, prosecutions and sentencing as well as for how long an application to intercept communication is valid.

“It is extremely worrying that a culture of corruption, together with broken systems and mismanagement, has also left a gap in the South African Intelligence Service for abuse of power and criminal activities,” saysJacques Broodryk, Campaign Manager at AfriForum.

Issued by Chanté Kelder, Media Relations Officer, AfriForum, 21 September 2021