The abuse of our spooks’ slush fund boggles the mind

With all its blunders, the Nationalist Party-led apartheid government had a formidable crime intelligence that could sniff for information like a German Shepherd tracking its prey, before launching an attack with precision.

Were it not for the fact that the spooks – during the BJ Vorster and later PW Botha era – helped to enforce immoral laws without question, they would today be revered as heroes.

Making effective use of a slush fund to splurge on impimpi (informants) in information gathering, the Mossad-trained intelligence unit had presence on the ground.

They would know anything that was about to happen, much in advance.

No organisation was spared in the infiltration by impimpi – whether it was gangsters, churches, political organisations, or any entity deemed to be “a threat to state security”.

Unfortunately, the zeal shown by the spies was meant to sustain apartheid.

The likes of journalist-turned-spy Olivia Forsyth, Wits University former student leader Craig Williamson, “human rights lawyer” Vanessa Brereton, and most feared special branch sergeant Bahlekazi Tungata, were just among thousands who worked for the system.

In a democratic South Africa, plagued by a growing scourge of crime, our supposed sniffing dog, crime intelligence, has gone blind.

Human trafficking, drugs, murders, rape and other crimes are soaring, while those whose mandate it is to defend the country and its people, have developed a passion for politics and enriching themselves with public money.

Revelations at the Commission of Inquiry into State Capture on how the crime intelligence slush fund has been misused – from the purchase of cars, property and overseas trips – are cause for concern. Taxpayers’ money meant to enhance crime fighting, has ended up feeding the wrong beast.

Revelations by whistleblower Dhanajaya Naidoo on how the fund has been misused by crime intelligence former head Richard Mdluli, former police minister Nathi Mthethwa and others, is mind boggling.

If Naidoo’s testimony is anything to go by, the fund became a free-for-all to plunder with impunity, in a strategic police department where there were no systems in place to account.

Naidoo’s testimony has included how:

• Mdluli abused the crime intelligence agent programme by instructing that several of his family members and friends be enrolled as informants, paid salaries to the tune of R5 million.
• Mthethwa was gifted a lavish Mercedes-Benz purchased for about R373,000 through the secret service crime intelligence account.

New and complex challenges in the form of terrorism, organised crime, cybercrime and internet-facilitated crimes have placed increased demands on shrinking police resources.

As reasearcher group Taylor and Francis Online said: “The role of intelligence and strategic analysis, becomes central to most modern democratic police services, especially in an era of increasing accountability to the media, politicians and communities.”

Any dysfunction in any security force organ like crime intelligence, becomes a threat to state security and the South African citizenry.

Brian Sokutu.

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