ALERT: "Spy Bill" open for public comment

Dear Friend,

The Spy Bill, or the General Intelligence Laws Amendment Bill as it is formally known, is now open for you to have your say to Parliament!

The deadline is 31 January 2024
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Why is this important?

‍The Spy Bill will allow religious organisations and their workers to be subjected to security competency tests by State intelligence agencies (I.e spies).  If they fail the test, they will not be given a security clearance certificate and will likely be forced to close. Not only will this strip away and right to privacy, but it also opens the door for the government to interfere in religious matters. This is effectively a form of State regulation of religion.

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TAKE ACTION!

‍Government wants to push this Bill through into law, possibly as early as March 2024. It is therefore vitally important that you use this opportunity to have your say before the deadline of 31 January 2024

Click HERE and take two minutes to make your submission.

You need to make your voice heard today!

The Bill’s broad definition of “persons or institutions of national security interest”, will include any person or group seen as acting against section 198 of the Constitution. (Section 198 is about South Africans wanting equality, peace, and a better life.)

These vague definitions make the scope of this Bill so broad that just about anyone and everyone can be caught in its net. Once you are seen as a person or institution of national security interest, the Bill allows the South African Intelligence Agency (i.e. “spies”) to conduct an invasive security competency tests on these religious institutions and their employees for purposes of issuing a security clearance certificate.

Should the Spy Bill become law, it can be open to tremendous abuse and politically motivated witch hunts. It can be used and abused to silence critical voices who oppose the State and/or who work for the community independently of the State. Religious organisations and their workers could be subjected to security competency tests by government agencies, which could well lead to government interfering unjustifiably in religious matters.

We need to push back in big numbers and put the brakes on legislation that will destroy our right to privacy and which can be used as a means of State regulation of religion.

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Click HERE for a template submission for organisations.

Click HERE for a template submission for individuals.