Hasty law amendments to avoid SA greylisting face serious pushback

🟢 HASTY LAW AMENDMENTS TO AVOID GREYLISTING FACE SERIOUS PUSHBACK

Hasty law amendments to avoid SA greylisting face serious pushbackOrganisations such as the Fiduciary Institute of Southern Africa and DearSA have raised concerns about proposed changes to legislation.

The country is under pressure to tighten up its anti-money laundering and combating terrorism financing activities. Image: The country is under pressure to tighten up its anti-money laundering and combating terrorism financing activities.

Lawmakers are rushing to push through changes to the law to avoid SA being greylisted by the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) – but they’re facing some stiff pushback.

One of the laws being polished before being presented to parliament is the clumsily worded Protection of Constitutional Democracy against Terrorist and Related Activities Amendment Bill, also known as the anti-terrorism bill.

Last week parliament’s Portfolio Committee on Police heard several presentations from civil society groups concerned about the potential loss of freedoms due to the loose wording of terms like “terrorist activity” in the bill.

More than 26 000 South Africans commented on the bill via the DearSA public participation platform and 99% were against it, mainly for the potentially chilling effect it could have on political protest, free expression, the press and religious activity.

Fine line

“It is clear that SA needs stronger anti-terrorism legislation, but the public participation campaign we ran on this bill suggests we have to get this legislation right or risk losing some of our freedoms,” says Rob Hutchinson, CEO of DearSA.

“There is deep concern in the country over the bill as it is currently worded, particularly the vagueness of what constitutes terrorist activity and the danger that legitimate political protest or religious activity could be deemed terrorism.”

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https://www.moneyweb.co.za/…/hasty-law-amendments-to-avoid…/

Hasty law amendments to avoid SA greylisting face serious pushback

Organisations such as the Fiduciary Institute of Southern Africa and DearSA have raised concerns about proposed changes to legislation.


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