The South African Communist Party on Friday accused government security agencies of taking sides in the internal divisions within the ANC‚ the alliance and government and charged that they were themselves becoming a threat to national security.

The party was speaking after a two-day meeting of its Augmented Central Committee in Johannesburg at which it spoke out against what it called “increasing securitisation” of the State.

“The SACP once again draws attention to the intense factionalisation‚ narrow politicisation and increasing corruption of the state’s security agencies‚ the most recent example of which is the bogus charges against Comrade Robert McBride and his colleagues.

“In the lead up to the ANC’s 2017 National Conference this is likely to increase. It is clear that the state’s security agencies have themselves become a threat to national security‚” the party asserted.

It added: “We condemn the security agencies for taking sides in the internal divisions within the ANC‚ Alliance and government‚ and the increasing securitisation of the state. We are determined to combat this.  

On Monday‚ Gauteng Hawks head Prince Mokotedi opened a case against Independent Police Investigative Directorate (Ipid) head Robert McBride‚ former Hawks boss Shadrack Sibiya‚ private investigator Paul O’Sullivan and crime intelligence officer Candice Coetzee. They are accused of conspiracy to commit murder‚ treason‚ espionage and several other crimes.