1.Are you a terrorist?

Are you a terrorist?
[The SA govt joins the United States worldwide ‘terror’ campaign]

The state is taking so much power into its hands that we can ask if South Africa is becoming a police state – with powers similar to, and in some cases even worse than the past apartheid state. Already the government has passed a law, the Interception and Monitoring Act where the state can easily tap any telephone conversation or intercept any email message. After the monitoring is complete, you will never be informed of this. Monitoring can also take place for an unlimited time. Every few days we hear that SA troops have been sent to another part of Africa to defend the interests of the monopolies that control these states. Now the state is trying to pass an even more sinister law – that will change the face of South Africa forever. It will turn South Africa not only into a police state but into a state that is completely under the control of imperialism – the giant monopolies and banks of the world. Anyone who questions the state could be labelled a ‘terrorist’.

If the US, France, Germany, Israel or the imperialist UN Security Council declare certain organizations to be ‘terrorist’ then the SA President, under the disguise of international obligations, will also declare anyone who gives direct or indirect support to such organizations, to be ‘terrorists’. For example, if the state of Israel declares a Palestinian group, the PFLP, to be ‘terrorist’, then in SA anyone who speaks in favour of the PFLP or sends blankets or nappies to a PFLP crèche in Palestine is also a ‘terrorist’. Any liberation organization that is fighting for self-determination is now not classed as ‘terrorist’ but if the same group opposes imperialism or the giant monopolies, they are ‘terrorist’ Only ‘liberation movements that support capitalism are not ‘terrorist’! Anyone giving even a piece of bread to any ‘labelled ‘terrorist’ would also be labelled a ‘terrorist’ and subject to arrest and imprisonment of 15 years or more! Such is the absurdity of the new proposed Anti-Terror Bill, the ATB. [Also called the CTB – the Counter Terrorism Bill or the Prevention of Terrorism Bill] Because Qibla and Pagad are on a terror list of the FBI, it is possible that the President could declare them ‘terrorist’ and have all their members and supporters arrested as so-called terrorists. Any person or group of people in South Africa who oppose the actions of imperialism anywhere in the world, through peaceful protest could be labelled as ‘terrorist’. Social movements, workers on an illegal strike at a US company, and the Anti-War Coalition could also be called ‘terrorist’.

An international trend

Starting with the US, through the UK, France, Germany, Canada, India, many countries are passing so-called Anti-Terror laws. The international working class resistance to the giant monopolies are growing to such an extent that these monopolies and the states that protect them need further laws to crack down and keep control. At the same time, so deep is their crisis of falling profits, that the giant corporations need to take back more gains of workers in order to survive – they know that the working class will resist. What we can see on a world scale is the rise of fascism – the rule through a police state.

What is happening in South Africa, with the government now trying to introduce the ATB, our country is being turned into a slave colony of the USA- whatever the baas of the USA declares, the SA state is bound to carry out! By implication, all actions of violence by any state, invasions and wars, such as the invasion of Iraq, because the US state has approved of this, will NOT be regarded as ‘terrorism’! Whatever the United Nations Security Council declares as a terrorist organization or action, will be labelled as terrorist! Yet the very UN Security Council is under the control of the very warmongers from the US, France, UK. Here is revealed the true purpose of the ‘Anti-terror’ legislation – to crack down on the working class across the world! That imperialism and their lackeys [puppets] need these extra powers to keep the working class in chains, is not a sign of their strength but of their weakness!

The ATB/CTB itself

v The bill does now explain “terrorism”, but is so broad as to be a virtual permanent state of emergency. It is much worse than any previous draft and explains a “terrorist act” as ‘ an unlawful act’ that is “likely to intimidate” the public or a segment of the public. This segment could one person – eg if Mbeki felt offended by a criticism of a political opponent, the opponent could instantly be regarded as a ‘terrorist’. Just by demanding an end to evictions, land, wage increase, free education, clean water, housing, nevirapine or even picketing this bill you could find yourself being labelled as a ‘terrorist’.
v Any anti-state or anti-government organization or individual or statement can be labelled ‘terrorist’.

If the President issues a proclamation, the Scorpions will be able to immediately monitor, arrest such people and seize whatever property the head of the Scorpions feel is being used to support ‘terrorism’. The onus [burden] is on the individual to show, after the seizure, why such assets/property has not been used for ‘terrorist’ activity. This goes beyond a one-party state – the law means the dictatorship of the presidency. [in short, SA is about to become a banana republic]
v Assets of such organisations, wherever they are will be confiscated and members immediately arrested.
v Legal strikes and legal protest are specifically excluded. This means that the huge number of illegal strikes and informal protests are now labelled as ‘terrorist’. Even if the strike or protest is legal, if it goes on too long and has a huge economic impact, or if anything happens during such activities that the authorities deem illegal, the activities can be labelled ‘terrorist’.

The individual, their organizations and unions could be held liable for all the economic losses that the capitalists claim to have suffered during the actions. [Clause 15(2)]
v If you are charged with ‘terrorism’ you will be treated as if you have committed murder or rape or robbery with violence.
v The bail conditions will be so harsh that it will be another form of detention without trial.
v If you commit an act of ‘terrorism’ or instruct/train someone else, or give assistance to or if you take hostages or if you ‘limit’ the liberty of a protected person such as a CIA agent, or are on an illegal strike, you are liable for a fine of R 1000 million or life imprisonment.
v If you recruit or receive training in whatever is seen as ‘terrorism’ or if you are deemed to have concealed/hidden a ‘terrorist’ your fine is R300 million or 15 years in jail
v If you played a joke of a bomb hoax or any such hoax, whether in SA or anywhere in the world, your fine is R200 million or 10 years in jail
v This bill erodes rights in the Bill of Rights. Even the right to remain silent and to be represented by a lawyer when the police arrest you is kicked out. No state sponsored lawyer will be made available and any lawyer that acts for you could be forced to give evidence against you
v Even journalists can be forced to reveal their source of information. The police can legally force anyone to give any information or face 5 years in jail or a fine of R100 million, if you refuse, that is, it creates many Iimpiempies, the identities of whom will not be revealed nor will you have the opportunity to challenge their ‘evidence’.

If you delayed to report any act of terror or anything suspicious that could be ‘terrorist’ you are also liable for 5 years in jail.
v All banks and such institutions will monitor any transaction that in their opinion is ‘ unnecessarily complex or forms part of an unusual pattern of transactions or has no apparent business or lawful purpose’. The Scorpions will be called in to monitor such people and transactions!
v Anything that causes a major economic loss or affects an essential service, could be deemed ‘terrorist’
v The bill say if you commit or threaten to commit a ‘terrorist’ act, conspire or encourage anybody to commit a ‘terrorist’ act you are liable for life imprisonment.
v The vague definition turns any protest into a potential ‘terrorist’ act. The threat of a consumer boycott of NIKE could be seen as a ‘terrorist’ act because of the economic impact of the action.
The Way Forward

What can we do to stop this attack on the working class in South Africa? The pressure of the masses in Kenya was so great that their parliament set aside the proposed ATB. The chair of the portfolio committee on Safety and Security, Mluleki George, said that irrespective of any opposition the Bill is going to become law.

The only way to stop the state and their imperialist backers is through a campaign of mass mobilisation and mass protest. The Anti-War Coalition calls on all progressive organizations and individuals to come out publicly against the ATB. Let us organise mass meetings, rallies, go house to house, organise marches against the ATB. Let us join hands against the state. Join the Anti-War Coalition! Discuss the ATB and get organised at your school, university, technikon, workplace or community.

Let us stop the terror of the Anti-Terror Bill!
Join the daily pickets outside parliament from 11am –2pm
Join the mass action on the 26th November outside parliament, when the ATB will be made law!

>>Issued by Anti-War Coalition ph: 0834895349 Community House, 41 Salt River Rd, Salt River

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