Right now, there is a scandal surrounding the president and the government. This is not the first scandal, nor will it be the last.
But it is different.
The difference is the government now feels it has the authority and the power to dictate to you how you should act. Before, this corrupt few would flee, and cover, and bury their corruption, to hide it from you.
It is important also to just send a caution that we have got laws — yes, some of them we will have to amend — but the continuing of flaunting of these pictures [of] a place which has been declared by the minister of police as a national key point is also not correct. It is a breach of law.”
Police Minister Nathi Mthethwa
This man has the temerity to tell you what you can look at. He has the audacity to tell you what you can share. This man has the bald face boldness to tell you that by exercising your Constitutional right to free speech, you will be punished by law. By some version of some law that has not been specified, and may not exist, but which will soon be there to punish you.
This man is calling you a Nazi. He is saying that anyone who publishes pictures or spreads videos of the scandal they are trying to hide is the same as the group of people who killed millions of innocent people. And his false equivalence can not be tolerated.
If you watched this,and you were not insulted by his audacity or horrified by his analogy, then you did not hear him.
If you heard this and were not frightened by the dictatorial stance the government is taking, then you were not listening.
If you listened but do not shudder at what will happen once this becomes a precedent, or do not see the threat to your civil liberty, then you did not understand.
If you understand and choose to shrug your shoulders and merely say that politicians will do what they will do, then you do not care
And if you care, but you do not act or speak out or make it know that you disagree, then you can not complain.
If you care but remain silent, then you will bring this new fresh hell upon yourself, and you will have no one to blame but yourself.
I will not obey. I will not observe. I will not be quiet. Mr Police Commissioner, you may label or libel me, but you will not control or silence me.