Johannesburg - The Right2Know campaign has collated stories of state security surveillance of activists and unionists, which it believes is aimed at intimidating community organisers from fighting for service delivery, among others.
Many of the community activists, who attended the launch of the publication, called “Big Brother Exposed” are engaged in struggles for water and sanitation and other rights enshrined in the Constitution.
National Union of Metalworkers of SA (Numsa) deputy general secretary, Karl Cloete, said service delivery protests in the country were often met with police violence.
This was a sentiment echoed by Thembelihle Crisis Committee member, Bhayiza Miya, who said he faced wrongful arrest and detention for six months before he was released thanks to support from the Socio-Economic Rights Institute of South Africa (SERI).
Following a preparatory assembly for Numsa’s United Front in December last year, union and civil society leaders associated with the UF were accused in a rogue intelligence dossier of being regime-change plotters.
“We’ve had to contend with our vehicles being broken into, our laptops being removed,” Cloete said of further allegations showing how unionists were being targeted by state institutions.
Such actions would be in clear violation of the law if carried out by the state.
“It’s (also) happening to researchers – anyone saying we have a rotten society with poverty, inequality and unemployment.”
He said cases laid with the SA Police Services had come to nought.
“So the conclusion is that state agencies are working hand in glove. We’re not saying these things lightly. It is unbelievable … that in 2015 a trade unionist must walk with a bodyguard. At Cosatu (CEC meetings) half of the canteen (is filled with) bodyguards.”
Labour Reporter