Intelwatch is pleased to announce the appointment of a new Executive Director, Paula Cristina Roque, PhD, who takes over leadership of the organisation from 1 February 2024. Paula is an author, researcher, and analyst with extensive expertise in human rights, security, and surveillance in Africa. She has served as an advisor on Sub-Saharan Africa for […]
This piece by Heidi Swart was first published by News24. An amended version of the so-called ‘spy bill’ – which previously sparked an outcry over fears that NGOs and churches could face a security crackdown – comes no closer to adequately addressing the concerns raised by the Financial Action Task Force when SA was greylisted. […]
This piece was first published by Daily Maverick. Registered non-profits (including churches) must now annually submit additional information to the Department of Social Development (the exact nature of which will be determined in consultation with the Financial Intelligence Centre and the minister of finance) about their office bearers, control structures, management and operations. he State […]
This piece was first published by Daily Maverick. If the two pieces of legislation currently before Parliament are passed into law as they now stand, the government will be able to monitor en masse the communications of every South African, behind a veil of secrecy in the name of ‘national security’. By May 2024, two […]
Intelwatch is a recently launched non-profit organisation based in South Africa, and working internationally. We aim to promote democratic oversight of state and private intelligence agencies, monitor and report on surveillance activities, raise awareness of the risks of undemocratic intelligence and surveillance activities, and advocate for progressive laws and policies that safeguard fundamental rights. Intelwatch […]
This opinion piece, written by Murray Hunter and first published by GroundUp, draws attention to a new Bill in South Africa’s Parliament to amend the country’s surveillance law, RICA. The Bill is open for comment until 6 October 2024. Parliament has called for comment on its new bill to amend RICA, South Africa’s surveillance law. The […]
Dear colleague If you haven’t seen the new General Intelligence Laws Amendment Bill (GILAB), then you need to. It contains elements that will be of concern to non-governmental organisations and civil society bodies. I attach a summary briefing document and a more detailed information sheet dealing with the concerns sparked by the Bill’s content. It […]
This piece by Jane Duncan was first published by Daily Maverick. It is practically impossible to regulate these spying powers in ways that respect basic rights and freedoms, such as privacy. This is because governments set these centres up to collect communications indiscriminately. In other words, they treat everyone outside the country as a potential […]
This piece was first published by Daily Maverick. Dragging the NGO sector into the sphere of national security strongly echoes the authoritarian orientation seen in Russia and China. on-governmental organisations play a pivotal role in promoting democracy and human rights in South Africa and have routinely stepped in where government has failed. Now, the General […]
