New laws signed by President Cyril Ramaphosa mean that certain electronic communications could result in imprisonment and a fine.
Sending hate speech over WhatsApp or social media can now result in jail time and a fine after President Cyril Ramaphosa signed the Preventing and Combating of Hate Crimes and Hate Speech Bill into law.
Any person convicted of a hate speech offence will be liable to a fine or imprisonment for a period not exceeding five years or to both a fine and such imprisonment. The new law also contains directives for the training of the South African Police Service and the National Prosecuting Authority to ensure sufficient processing of the new crimes.The new legislation has not been without criticism, with political parties and religious groups raising red flags.
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