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SSA gave bodyguards to Dudu Myeni without police security assessment, inquiry hears

Other political allies of former president Jacob Zuma were also given SAA security protection, says Sydney Mufamadi

Mawande AmaShabalala Political journalist
Former SAA chair Dudu Myeni was protected by agents of the State Security Agency, the state capture commission heard on Monday.
Former SAA chair Dudu Myeni was protected by agents of the State Security Agency, the state capture commission heard on Monday.
Image: Raymond Preston

The state capture commission on Monday was told that the State Security Agency's (SSA's) special operations unit provided protection to political allies of former president Jacob Zuma.

In doing so, the commission was told, the SSA usurped the powers of the police, who are responsible for providing VIP protection services after conducting a security assessment.

Among those who were guarded by spooks from the special ops unit were then SAA board chair Dudu Myeni, former ANCYL president Collen Maine and his deputy Desmond Moela, and erstwhile NPA boss Shaun Abrahams.

This was evidence presented by the former chairperson of the high-level panel into the SSA, Sydney Mufamadi.

He said the SSA had no business providing protection to political figures, more so as the police were unaware  that the cited individuals were being guarded by intelligence agents.

These spooks, who received training in a foreign country, he said, were also providing protection for Zuma himself. And as they did so, they were often double-dipping in what was the job of the police's presidential protection unit.

“The first thing wrong that was done by this special ops unit was to organise training for agents in VIP protection. The budget of the SSA ought not to provide for that function,” said Mufamadi.

“It is double-dipping. Whatever these undercover agents do may be a duplication of what the police are doing. They were trained in a foreign country. You cannot have a function as serious as this one being a free for all.

“We were told by people who came from the SAPS that they received reports to the effect that you would have instances where the president of the republic was travelling domestically and abroad and SAPS people who were going as the advanced party would collide with people who said they were from the special operations.

“You would also have people who did not fall within the defined category of people deserving of VIP protection who were provided with these protection services.”

His testimony continues.

TimesLIVE


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