STATEMENT ON PRIVACY IN BANKING SECTOR – JUNE 2017

Publication Date: 27/06/2017

27 June 2017

Efforts to undermine the constitutional right to privacy of key executives in the South African banking sector must be condemned in the strongest possible terms.

There are serious and legitimate concerns with regards to the selfish and narrow interests behind this, as well as the obvious complicity of sectors in government in making sensitive and confidential information available for nefarious objectives.

This ongoing and flagrant disregard for the rule of law is unacceptable. Government’s tacit participation in the encroachment of privacy of its citizens and its failure to condemn this serious violation is alarming. This raises greater questions regarding the suspicious motivation of the parties involved, as well as the extent of external control of government departments and agencies.

This revelation shows the extent of state capture and breakdown in the functions of state. These are part of attempts to undermine our institutions and economy and put individuals at risk. We must resist this by consistently promoting and protecting our institutions and critical sectors of our economy, including the banking sector.