SA gets tough on terrorism
25 Febuary 2004
South Africa's new anti-terrorist legislation aims to align South African law with regional and international obligations to prevent terrorism, while ensuring that the country has the necessary legislative tools to address domestic terrorist threats.
The Protection of Constitutional Democracy Against Terrorist and Related Activities Bill, generally referred to as the Anti-Terrorism Bill, was passed by the National Assembly in November 2003 and by the National Council of Provinces in February 2004, and will become law once President Thabo Mbeki has signed it.
The draft law covers offences relating to the financing of terrorist activities, and includes a wider provision for security force search and seizure and cordoning off operations in order to prevent and investigate terrorist activities.
The Bill provides for life imprisonment or a multi-million rand fine to be imposed on convicted terrorists. It also criminalises hoaxes, and provides
for court orders for the payment of wasted expenses incurred due to hoaxes.
Deputy Safety and Security Minister Joe Matthews, speaking during the second reading debate of the Bill in the National Assembly last year, said the Bill had gone through exhaustive consultations, including co-ordinating government input through an interdepartmental counter-terrorism working group.
Five parliamentary portfolio committees - safety and security, justice and constitutional development, foreign affairs, finance, and the joint standing committee on intelligence - were involved in drafting the legislation.
"Cognisance was taken of draft model legislation of the Commonwealth, as well as the legislation of Tanzania, Uganda, Mauritius, New Zealand, Canada, Britain, France, the Russian Federation and numerous other countries", Matthews said.
Source: BuaNews
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