Right2Know Campaign

R2K Report on Surveillance of Journalists in South Africa

by · Published · Updated

The Right2Know Campaign has launched a new report on surveillance of journalists in South Africa. This is the latest contribution to growing evidence of systemic surveillance abuses in South Africa.

R2K has previously shown that surveillance in South Africa affects all members of society, including whistleblowers and activists, it would appear journalists in South Africa have been a particular target for state spying, and more recently, even private-sector spying. This seems to be especially true for journalists who have uncovered corruption, state capture, and abuse of power and in-fighting in agencies like the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA), the State Security Agency (SSA), the Crime Intelligence division of the police, and the Hawks.

This discussion comes at the same time as two critical opportunities for surveillance reform in South Africa. Our main surveillance law, RICA, faces a constitutional challenge by the AmaBhungane Centre for Investigative Journalism — and President Cyril Ramaphosa has initiated a panel to review the mandate and functioning of the State Security Agency, which has been implicated in a range of surveillance abuses.

In the report’s conclusion, R2K has tabled a series of recommendations to address this problem. These include:

  • Challenging and reforming RICA, South Africa’s main surveillance law
  • Increased vigilance from media organisations
  • More accountability from service providers
  • Reining in the spooks and overhauling their oversight

More than anything, we must demand an end to the surveillance abuses and the bad policies that enable them.

#StopTheSpies #OngaziMakazi

Download the report here.

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