National Communication Act, 2012, confidentiality and unauthorised interception of communications
The National Communication Act, 2012 (Act 24 of 2012), ss. 96 and 98(1)(e)
A citation is an address, not a summary. The first part names the law; what follows narrows it to the exact section, article or paragraph.
In force.
A computer misuse rule binding public and private bodies.
As of 7 September 2026.
What it requires
- Do not break into, eavesdrop on, illegally monitor, or hack into a communication or a communication network without authorisation from the National Communication Authority, the Attorney General, the Director of Public Prosecutions, or a court.
If you get it wrong
Criminal exposureYes
Criminal exposure note
Section 98(1)(e) makes unauthorised interception, interference, jamming, or hacking of a communication network, radio frequency, or frequency band an offence punishable by imprisonment, a fine, or both; the Act does not itself state a maximum term or amount.
What it reaches
Obligation class
Access restriction
What this law does
Drafted with AI from the cited sources under the direction of UnGovr staff. UnGovr holds editorial responsibility for this page.
Section 96 of the National Communication Act, 2012 bars any person from disclosing or disseminating the contents of a message or communication, or opening postal material, except as the Act or its regulations specifically allow, and separately bars breaking into, eavesdropping on, illegally monitoring, or hacking into communications without authorisation from the National Communication Authority, the Attorney General, the Director of Public Prosecutions, or a court.
Section 98(1)(e) makes intercepting, interfering with, jamming, or hacking into a communication network, radio frequency, or frequency band allocated to another licensee an offence carrying imprisonment, a fine, or both, without the Act itself stating a specific term or amount.
When LexLint raises it
crawls_web
Read the law
Official text of the National Communication Act
2012 (Act 24 of 2012), Ministry of Justice and Constitutional Affairs law library, archived copy