The Gauteng High Court in Pretoria heard on Wednesday, 28 October, that the State Security Agency's (SSA) operation, Project Mayibuye, targeted the EFF without a national security basis. A former SSA official, known as Mr D, testified that there was no evidence to suggest the EFF posed a threat to national security. The operation was linked to efforts to gather intelligence on the EFF and exploit divisions within the party.
Project Mayibuye was a 2015 SSA operation that allegedly involved infiltrating the EFF and gathering intelligence from inside the party. The operation was managed by former SSA officials Thulani “Silence” Dlomo and Patrick Mshothola, who are accused of fraud and theft involving R12-million allegedly channelled through Project Mayibuye. Dlomo, often referred to as Jacob Zuma’s former “superspy”, led the Chief Directorate of Special Operations at the SSA and later served as ambassador to Japan.
The EFF has since lodged a complaint with the police and the Inspector-General of Intelligence against those involved in Project Mayibuye. The party said it would not allow state-sponsored lawlessness to go unpunished and would formally lodge a criminal case with the South African Police Service (SAPS) against all named handlers, operatives, and facilitators of Project Mayibuye. The EFF accused them of malicious damage, corruption, and violating the Intelligence Services Act.
Mr D's testimony revealed that he stumbled upon about 20 boxes containing documents from Special Operations, marked “SO” and organised according to financial years. The documents were processed, scanned, and uploaded onto the SSA’s system, where they were examined by a project team and eventually formed part of the evidence used in an investigation known as Project Veza. Project Veza uncovered alleged wrongdoing and irregularities within the SSA, including the unlawful authorization of Project Mayibuye.
Lawyers for Dlomo and Mshothola challenged Mr D's interpretation of the documents and whether shortcomings in the paperwork necessarily meant the operation was unlawful. Advocate Muthwa Sithole, representing Dlomo, referred Mr D to the National Strategic Intelligence Act 39 of 1994 and the SSA’s responsibility to gather and analyse intelligence relating to threats to national security. Sithole questioned Mr D about references in the documents to political formations and social developments.
The Zondo Commission previously heard that Project Veza found that various projects initiated by Dlomo and the Special Operations Unit “were established in breach of the SSA’s policy and regulatory prescripts”. These included illegal surveillance and the unaccounted squandering of about R1.5-billion of public funds. The investigation also uncovered equipment, including jammers and surveillance devices, linked to Project Mayibuye.
The trial of Dlomo and Mshothola continues, with the court to determine whether Project Mayibuye was lawful and whether the accused are guilty of fraud and theft. The case has significant implications for the SSA and its operations, particularly regarding the authorization and oversight of special operations.
Key points
- The EFF was targeted in a State Security Agency operation without a national security basis.
- Project Mayibuye was linked to efforts to gather intelligence on the EFF and exploit divisions within the party.
- The operation was allegedly unlawfully authorized and linked to the political interests of former President Jacob Zuma.
