Opposition lawmakers reject plan to have SAPS intercept communications

Mbazima Speaks
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Prosecutors said it was a necessary crime-fighting intervention, but the illegal purchase of wiretapping devices had previously misled Congress. The EFF, meanwhile, said the police were simply unreliable.


Parliament has given the South African Police Service (SAPS) permission to intercept communications and procure equipment.


Attorney General Ronald Lamola has already approved an exception to the Communications Surveillance and Communications Regulation Act provision commonly known as Rica.


But on Tuesday, parliament had the final say on allowing police to intercept communications for crime-fighting purposes for the next five years.


In the face of a 2021 Constitutional Court ruling outlawing some of the Likas, some political parties were reluctant to give Saps consent to intercept communications. Janho Engelbrecht of the Democratic League said although this was a necessary intervention to combat crime, Congress had previously been misled by the illegal purchase of wiretapping devices.


The problem is that in 2019 the Minister of Police illegally forced his Saps to buy Grabber at his R102 million price. Saps, who has a responsibility to uphold the law, broke the law itself.


Yoliswa Yako of Economic Freedom Fighters agreed that the police could not be trusted.


Stop the Saps from using this legal instrument to abuse their powers and illegally monitor citizens, as well as use it to further the political interests of those currently in force. What's the thing?


The EFF and Freedom Front Plus said they could not support the House-approved exemption certificate. 


This story is originally published by Eye Witness News

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