The National Council of Provinces has extended the period for public comment on the “Hate Speech Bill” from Friday May 12 to 1pm on Monday May 22.
Freedom of Religion SA, which requested the extra time to respond to the contentious bill, urges SA Christians to take action now while they have an opportunity to stand up for the right to faith and freedom.
FOR SA says the bill is unnecessary as existing criminal and civil laws already deal effectively with hate speech. And they say the bill is unconstitutional because its definition of hate speech is far wider than the definition in the Constitution and in PEPUDA (the Equality Act).
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If the bill becomes law it could result in people getting sent to jail for up to eight years for expressions which amount to no more than badly hurt feelings, says FOR SA.
The Prevention and Combating of Hate Crimes and Hate Speech Bill (Hate Speech Bill) was passed by the National Assembly on March 14 and is currently before the National Council of Provinces. If the NCOP passes the bill, without amendments, it will be submitted to the president to be signed into law.
More than 100 000 public comments – mostly from faith communities – were made when the Department of Justice presented the Bill to Parliament. But Government largely ignored faith concerns and refused suggestions to modify the bill to protect legitimate expressions of religious faith, says FOR SA.
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“There is therefore a real danger that this law will be used to silence and shut down the views and expression of people of faith, so we need to take a stand,” it says.
FOR SA emphasises that people who commented on the bill at previous stages need to comment again now, as the NCOP process is a new one and prior comments will not be considered.
You can click on the link https://dearsouthafrica.co.za/hate-crimes-and-hate-speech-ncop/ to send your comments directly to the address provided by the NCOP.
You can also go to the FOR SA website to download, complete and email a written submission, either as an individual or an organisation, or to view more detailed information on FOR SA’s concerns and objections. Info is also available on the FOR SA YouTube channel.
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I agree withthe following
1: The bill is unnecessary as existing criminal and civil laws already deal effectively with hate speech. And they say the bill is unconstitutional because its definition of hate speech is far wider than the definition in the Constitution and in PEPUDA (the Equality Act).
2: If the bill becomes law it could result in people getting sent to jail for up to eight years for expressions which amount to no more than badly hurt feelings.
3: There is therefore a real danger that this law will be used to silence and shut down the views and expression of people of faith, so we need to take a stand.
…as stated by FOR SA.
It goes against my constitution that we may not have an opportunity to voice our disagreements for fear of criminal injuria crimes in petty and private matters or even those expressed in discussions within multicultural environments. What will happen to having healthy debates? Will we then be charged for sticking to our points because the other party is not making headway getting their views across? Are we going to passively and quietly go about viewing the other parties with dissension and anger in our hearts because we may end up paying to high a price for our beliefs and convictions? Is this how a democracy fends for its people?! Is this the result of the struggle, of the lives lost….of 27 year of imprisonment…to take away our humanity of believing differently and being different? To what end? It doesn’t sit well to know we may be going down this path where rights are violated for the sake of opinion. We have a free will…we have a right to make decisions that may or may not be in agreement with others and their upbringing and belief structure – we are not clones, we are a rainbow nation and difference is inherent in our society, we will therefore have inherent differences in culture, in community, in creed.