Daily Maverick webinar: Surveillance reform in South Africa

Intelwatch participated in a Daily Maverick webinar on surveillance reform in South Africa.

Blurb:
Parliament has called for comment on its new bill to amend RICA, South Africa’s communications surveillance law. The Department of Justice introduced the RICA amendment bill more than two years after the Constitutional Court declared key parts of the surveillance law to be unconstitutional, in a case brought by media non-profit amaBhungane.

At a glance, all this may look like a step forward: at just nine pages long, the RICA bill simply follows the court’s instructions on how to fix certain aspects of the law. But that’s just the problem. In the twenty years since the law was first drafted, it’s drawn a host of criticisms – only some of which could be considered by the Constitutional Court. (See Intelwatch’s submission here.)

Panellists:

• Caroline James, Advocacy coordinator, amaBhungane Centre for Investigative Journalism
• Murray Hunter, Acting executive director, Intelwatch
• Heidi Swart, Research and journalism coordinator, Intelwatch

Watch the Daily Maverick webinar here: