‘How spies helped JZ’

While intelligence operatives siphoned off huge sums of money to back then-president Jacob Zuma in his ANC faction fights behind the cloak and dagger multimillion-rand operations of the State Security Agency (SSA), the SSA failed in its primary mission: to safeguard all South Africans.

The Commission of Inquiry into State Capture on Tuesday heard how operatives were immersed in large-scale siphoning off of money for individual gain, bolstering factional battles and trying to influence the judiciary.

In another day of damning testimony before Deputy Chief Justice Raymond Zondo, SSA acting director-general Loyiso Jafta, laid bare the depth of financial plunder, abuse of power and mismanagement at the agency entrusted
with the country’s security.

ALSO READ: Zuma pocketed spy money, spent millions on positive media spin, Zondo hears

Zondo earlier dismissed an application by Intelligence Minister Ayanda Dlodlo, who sought to derail Jafta’s testimony on the grounds of “concerns for state security”.

Opening a can of worms on the dysfunctional SSA, Jafta revealed how:

• Public money was used in ANC factional battles, with legal compliance overlooked.
• Intelligence officials, who owed government up to R10 million, failed to account and be transparent in their operations.
• The executive exercised overreach by giving intelligence officials illegal instructions.

“Money was stolen,” was how Jafta, who took over the reins in 2018, described the looting of funds during Zuma’s presidency.

The high-level review panel on SSA, led by Dr Sydney Mufamadi, which presented its report in 2018 to President Cyril Ramaphosa, found that:

• From about 2005, there has been a growing politicisation of the civilian intelligence community, based on factions in the ANC.
• There was a disproportionate application of secrecy in the SSA, stifling effective accountability and facilitating serious noncompliance with controls, including blatant criminality.

Led by evidence leader advocate Paul Pretorius, Jafta painted a picture of a chaotic management system at the SSA.

“Monies were spent to fund political activity within the ANC.

“This is money that went to fund a particular faction of the ANC, with operations intended to drill into the credibility of those who were not in the faction,” said Jafta.

READ MORE: SSA had no respect for Constitution, Jafta tells Zondo commission

There was a glaring systems failure, nonadherence to financial management and lack of accountability at the agency.
The first thing he did as acting DG was to ask for a briefing from the chief financial officer “to follow the money”.

“Money does not lie because it is like blood,” said Jafta.

“Operations of the agency were conducted along parallel prescripts, with money expended on projects outside the legal mandate and the constitution.

On how staff owed the agency millions, Jafta said: “After presenting your project, you would be given a temporary advance, running into millions.

“Officials used the advance as a funding instrument for projects, settling the money owed to the state later.”

– brians@citizen.co.za

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