SSA special ops provided Dudu Myeni security protection she did not qualify for, inquiry hears

Agents from the state security agency (SSA) provided the former South African Airways (SAA) board chair Dudu Myeni security protection she did not qualify for, the commission of inquiry into state capture has heard.

A witness giving testimony in-camera and referred to as Mr Y told the commission on Wednesday that after the appointment of Thulani Dlomo in 2012 as the general manager of the SSA chief directorate special operations, the latter unit’s mandate was changed to that of a parallel protection service for former president Jacob Zuma.

Mr Y told the commission that Dlomo was not reporting to the relevant authorities within the SSA with regards to the operations of the unit, but allegedly reported directly to Zuma.

The commission also heard from Mr Y that the unit also provided Myeni with security protection that she did not qualify for.

On Thursday, evidence leader at the commission Advocate Michael Mbikiwa said according to an affidavit by the then head of group security services at SAA, Mr Moonsamy, Myeni obtained new security personnel that he knew nothing about and was not part of the SAA security personnel.

Moonsamy, in his affidavit, deals with how Myeni in one incident arrived with the new security personnel without making prior arrangments at SAA, which was in breach of the airline’s policy, and that the security detail Myeni came with would refuse to sign in at SAA, which was also in breach of policy.

Mr Y told the commission that had the SSA security personnel been legitimately deployed to provide services to Myeni, there would be no legitimate reason for them not to sign in at SAA.

Mr Y identified one SSA agent in a photograph from CCV footage from SAA as Zama Mtolo, who was allegedly a member of the special operations unit which provided security services to Myeni.

The photograph was an attachment to Moonsamy’s affidavit.

Furthermore, Mr Y told the commission that no paperwork, files or requests or any other documents of a similar nature have been found to indicate that the security services provided to Myeni by the SSA unit were an official undertaking.

The commission also heard of any incident when Myeni instructed the SSA security personnel to confiscate a recording pen from an SAA executive, which Mr Y said would not have been within the mandate of the SSA members.

The commission also heard of an incident on 3 July 2015 when Myeni attended a board meeting at which no one was allowed to bring in cellphones. Myeni thereafter met with the airline’s then CFO where, upon leaving that meeting, she allegedly instructed the SSA members providing her security services to confiscate a recording pen.

Mr Y said SSA members would not have been empowered to do so, to confiscate any of the electronic equipment of SAA board members and executives.

The commission continues to hear aviation-related testimony, watch live courtesy of the SABC:

For more news your way, download The Citizen’s app for iOS and Android.