What is the South African case all about? A conversation with the journalist who made it happen
Investigative journalist Sam Sole, managing partner at amaBhungane and co-applicant to the case, discusses with us how he found out that he was under surveillance and what the case is all about.
On 6 February 2021, the Constitutional Court of South Africa in a historic judgment declared unconstitutional years of secret and unchecked surveillance by South African authorities against millions of people - irrespective of whether they reside in South Africa.
The Court powerfully placed the judgment in historical context:
The constitutionally protected right to privacy seeks to be one of the guarantees that South Africa will not again act like the police state that it was under apartheid. Axiomatically, therefore, the right to privacy is singularly important in South Africa’s constitutional democracy.
In this video, investigative journalist Sam Sole, managing partner at amaBhungane and co-applicant to the case, discusses with us how he found out that he was under surveillance and what the case is all about. He urges journalists and civil society around the world to remain vigilant and put unchecked surveillance powers under scrutiny.
What’s next? What can I do now?
Having strong laws and technology which protect privacy is incredibly important, but the most important thing is that people are aware of the issues and are able to influence powerful companies and governments. You can read more about the case.
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