US Inteligence role in SA politics

ACROSS the border, politicians in SA have also raised concerns over the articles after the authors indicated that other articles still to come would be focusing on the African National Congress (ANC).

“Everyone knows that we are heading to the polls next month and these articles are nothing short of trying to smear our movement and government to try and persuade people not to vote for the ANC,” said the politician.

“We see right through what they are trying to do and we can confidently say they won’t succeed.”

The US is no stranger to controversy in South Africa. The country’s Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) was named in reports carried out by Independent Media quoting a report dated November 5, 2020, titled “Top secret: US interest in ANC party dynamics” and commissioned by the US intelligence operating at the country’s offices in Pretoria.

In the report, the State Security Agency stated that the “Top Secret” document was a brief to inform the minister and deputy minister overseeing the SSA of the extent of the US collection efforts and outputs of the ANC, targeting certain individuals in the ruling party.

The report revealed that the US National Security Strategy has mandated US intelligence formations to identify and assess capabilities, activities and intentions of state and non-state entities to develop a deep understanding of the strategic environment and to warn of future developments.

“The Political Office of the US Embassy in Tshwane continues to gather information related to the ruling party, which is then sent to the US State Department. This brief confirms that the US Embassy is part of the US intelligence community, and has a network of ANC party officials who, wittingly or unwittingly, share privileged information,” read the intelligence report.

According to the SSA report, the US Mission in South Africa has, over the years, created a comprehensive network of contacts and sources, and these sources’ efforts have been successful in spying and acquiring information for US intelligence.

The report did not dwell on how these spies were being rewarded for providing intelligence to the US. The document also stated that there was very close cooperation taking place between the US diplomatic community and the US intelligence community in South Africa to guard and enhance US economic and political agendas in targeted countries like South Africa.

“Foreign intelligence actors continue to monitor policy conceptualisation that may be initiated in the ruling party, the ANC, as it pre-empts government policy formulation and implementation. The intelligence brief focuses on US interests as collected by the political office in the City of Tshwane,” the report said.

It further revealed that the US Embassy had access to prominent high-profile leaders in ANC provincial structures, which enables the US to gain insight into sensitive party-political intelligence.

Briefing the government on the extent of the US’S interference in the country, the SSA informed the state that it was aware that the US had cultivated tangible intelligence within the ruling party.

This was to either influence policy direction in South Africa or determine how it could be subverted.

In December 2022, Independent Media approached US Embassy spokesperson David Feldmann for comment and he said this was not a US government document, and he was therefore unable to comment on it.

Quizzed on whether the US was working with prominent leaders within the ANC to spy on the party, the embassy did not comment.

The so-called ‘Swazi Leaks’ have seen some South African media houses as well as other international publications making allegations which in turn, they state that the reports could not be verified but still went on to publish them.

Open Secrets in its report states that it was unable to verify the information it published.

Another politician in Eswatini exclaimed that the fact the writers could not verify the information they claim to have yet continued to publish raises a lot of concerns regarding the motive.

“Why would you want to publish unconfirmed or unverified information? This is nothing but a smear campaign against the government in the country as well as politicians and business people. The authors have a hidden agenda,” said the politician.