JOHANNESBURG - You may have to think twice before pointing your camera. That&39;s if a proposed law comes into effect.

It could be illegal to take photos of several properties, including President Jacob Zuma’s Nkandla homestead.

The draft Bill says the photographers must face prosecution if the pictures are used to commit a crime.

It was nearly three years ago that government first warned that publishing images of Zuma’s home could constitute a criminal offense – that’s if the images revealed any security features.

Fast forward to May 2016, and the Secretary of Police proposes the draft Critical Infrastructure Protection Bill.

It makes taking pictures of over 200 of the country’s national key points a criminal offense.

But only if those pictures are taken for unlawful purposes.

“If you are taking these pictures and you are sending it to some people who will come and damage our key infrastructure, that would be unlawful," said Acting Secretary of Police Phumudzi Rapea.

“The ANC government has a responsibility to make sure that our critical infrastructure sustain our democracy.

"You’d rather be proactive than reactive. The citizens of this country expect us to protect our infrastructure.”

The draft law also makes it a criminal offense, punishable by 20 years in jail, to threaten to damage critical infrastructure.

But Rapea stresses that the bill is still a work in progress, and interested parties have until 15 June to comment on it.