According to a news report yesterday, the State Security Agency under the command of former President Zuma subjected numbers of private individuals to unlawful surveillance. These included Nicole Fritz, the Executive Officer of Freedom Under Law.
The suggestion that either Ms Fritz or FUL warranted surveillance is not only preposterous but profoundly disturbing. The pursuit of a perfectly law-abiding person and an equally respectable Rule of Law agency reflects an alarming level of paranoia among our securocrats.
It also reveals a frightening lack of judgment and common-sense on the part of those entrusted with our national security if they cannot recognise the lawful activities of public-interest agencies such as Freedom Under Law. Beside all else, it represents an unforgivable wastage of resources.
Much more ominously, it reveals a deep-seated contempt for the Constitution and the human rights it guarantees.