Hell, No I Won't RICA

Note to non-South Africans: RICA is The Regulation of Interception of Communications Act – a piece of particularly stupid, egregious and unneccesary piece of legislation that requires (among many other idiocies) that all cellphone SIM cards be registered by their owner along with proof-of-residence. This is supposed to make it easier for Police and National Intelligence (an oxymoron if ever there was one!) to track down criminals.

I won't be registering for RICA.

I don't care if my service provider cuts my cellular service after 30 June. It just means that I'll have some extra money to spend on other goodies each month.

I am an honest, law-abiding citizen. And I am tired to death of being spied-on, nannied, harassed, followed and tracked by my own government. FICA documentation at the banks. Highway banditry against my company from CIPRO. Proof of residence required at the Post Office. Now spy-vs-spy nonsense in the form of RICA. Well, I've had enough!

It's not as though RICA is actually going to achieve anything useful, anyway. If I were of criminal intent I would simply take the following simple steps:

1. Acquire one or more false identify documents (I am told that a bribe of around R100 at Home Affairs does the trick. I am certain that cheaper bulk-rates can be negotiated.)
2. Forge one or more fake electricity/phone/rates bills. Simple job with a laser printer. You need not even own the printer - just go to a local print-shop or internet cafe.
3. Blithely register many, many SIM-cards for RICA under a variety of false identities and addresses.
4. Sell said SIM cards.
5. Profit!

So I won't be going along with yet another useless, ill-conceived, dung-headed piece of invasive, expensive and useless legislative boondoggle written by the control-freaks who are one short step away from demanding, "Papers, citizen!"

Look for #hellnoiwontrica on Twitter.