comments2

2026-02-02 12:34:35 +02:00

Venessa

No I do not

All of the above

South Africa is supposed to be a democracy, this is in direct conflict with our constitution and its freedoms.

2026-02-02 12:34:23 +02:00

Gerrit

No I do not

All of the above

We are not China.

Also, audit yourselves first, you corrupt pieces of crap.

2026-02-02 12:34:00 +02:00

Ansie

No I do not

Granting the NPO Directorate policing powers:

The government itself might be the first place to start clearing and stopping corruption and then filtering it down to companies and individuals. South Africans need the government to start setting a good example of doing the right thing, before meddling in the privacy of its citizens.

2026-02-02 12:32:38 +02:00

Sonja

No I do not

All of the above

I do not have faith in our Government to have such broad power over the lives of citizens.

2026-02-02 12:32:22 +02:00

Andre

No I do not

All of the above

2026-02-02 12:31:53 +02:00

Robbyn

Not fully

All of the above

South Africa faces well-documented challenges relating to money laundering, illicit financial flows, corruption, organised crime, and the financing of terrorism. Strengthening the country's legal and institutional capacity to address serious domestic and transactional financial crime is botrh necessary and in the public interest. In principle, the objectives of the Bill, including alignment with the international AML/CFT standards, are therefor understood and supported.

However, I wish to express concern about the combined effect of several provisions in the Bill, particularly the expansion of lifestyle audits, broader information-sharing powers, enhanced regulatory enforcement fuinctrions, and tighter controls over financial and organisational activity. Taken together, these measures represent a nsignificant expansion of state surveillance and regulatory reach, which requires careful limitation and oversight.

South Africa has a larege informal and cash-based economy, especially within townships and low-income communities. Many individuals receive wages or income in cash, engage in informal trade3, or rely on shared household and community resources. While failure to declare income is a tax compliance issue that must be addressed by SARS, such circumstances do not, in themselves, indicate money laundering, organised crime, or terrorist financing.

There is a risk that lifestyle audits and related surveiullance mechanisms, if applied withiout clear statutory thesholds and prioritisation, could disproportionately affect individuals engaged in informal economic activity, non-profit organisations, or small businesses, rather than targeting serious financial crime. This risks unintended consequences such as financial exclusion, administrative overreach, and the diversion of enforcement capacity away from high-risk actors.

By contrast, these powers are cleary justified when applied to serious and demonstratable risks, includeing:
- Politically exposed persons or public officials;
- Individuals involved in public procurement and state contracting;
- Law enforcement or judicial officials whose assets materially exceed known income;
- Organised criminal networks and gangs;
- Transactional money laundering, sanctions evasion, and terrorist fiancing;
- Complex corporate, trust, or trade-based laundering structures.

It is these contexts that lifestyle audits, ehnaced regulatory powers, and information-sharing mechanisms most effectively serve the public interest and the objectives of AML/CFT enforcement.

I respectfully submit that the Bill would benefit from:
- Explicit risk-based criteria governing the use of lifestyle audits and related surveillance tools;
- Clear separation between tax enforcement, regulatory compliance, and AML/CFT investigations;
- Defined thresholds linking expanded powers to serious criminal or national security risks;
- Judicial or independent oversight of intrusive investigation measures;
- Strong alignment with existing privacy and data-protection safeguards under POPIA;
- Transparency and reporting on the use and outcomes of these powers across all affected sectors.

These safeguards would help ensure that the Bill strengthens South Africa's ability to combat serious financial crime wihtout unduly infringing on constitutional rights, undermining trust, or imposing disproportionate burdens on compliant individuals, organisations, and communities.

2026-02-02 12:31:16 +02:00

Christine

No I do not

All of the above

Just another bill to side track people from the real issue, government corruption. It's easier to deflect attention away from government corruption and focus on ordinary citizens to hide the real issue. Sharing my personal information with anyone and everyone is a gross violation of privacy. Rather spend the resources on going after, and arresting, corrupt government officials and NGO's. There's more than enough evidence. Leave ordinary citizens alone.

2026-02-02 12:29:21 +02:00

Dave

No I do not

State Surveillance in the form of Lifestyle Audits

2026-02-02 12:29:06 +02:00

Johannes

No I do not

State Surveillance in the form of Lifestyle Audits

2026-02-02 12:28:45 +02:00

Jill

Not fully

All of the above

2026-02-02 12:28:38 +02:00

Marline

No I do not

State Surveillance in the form of Lifestyle Audits

2026-02-02 12:28:18 +02:00

Merle

No I do not

All of the above

2026-02-02 12:27:53 +02:00

Adrie

No I do not

All of the above

2026-02-02 12:26:00 +02:00

Jeremy

Yes I do

All of the above

Yes the government Sol Plaatjie takes extra home owner amount every month saying i have 4 family in my home. I own the house and my Father has the water and lights home account but due to Dad and Mom's health in Kimberley was bad so my sister Naomi Kok and brother in law Deon (they married) picked them up 8th January 2025 and they stay in Empangeni KZN and 2024 June 27th my Uncle Ralph had Passed Away. So i am alone in my home but Government takes over r1000 for home plus water and lights. My disabled pension is my life not private government fraud.

2026-02-02 12:25:06 +02:00

Eugene

No I do not

All of the above

"However, National Treasury’s General Laws (Anti-Money Laundering and Combating Terrorism Financing) Amendment Bill, 2025 is far more than a “lifestyle audit” bill. It proposes a sweeping overhaul of several key pieces of legislation, moving the state into a proactive role of monitoring and policing everyday South African institutions."

And there is the main concern, especially the last part of the sentence.

The top politicians are not held accountable for their actions and lifestyles, yet the rest of us must comply with all their rules and regulations.