Timely go-ahead for spying probe

It may have taken over a year, but the Democratic Alliance (DA) has finally been given the green light to investigate Gupta spying allegations. Yesterday, the DA said it had received confirmation from Inspector-General of Intelligence (IGI) Setlhomamaru Dintwe that the office had agreed to investigate the alleged use of state resources to spy on prominent South Africans on behalf of the Guptas.

“The request was submitted in July 2017 but according to the IGI, the delay in the investigation ‘was occasioned by the noncooperation of the State Security Agency (SSA) under the tenure of Arthur Fraser’,” said DA chief whip John Steenhuisen.

“Our request for an investigation followed various media reports that Sahara chief executive and close Gupta associate Ashu Chawla was found in possession of sensitive, confidential, and private state-held information about prominent South Africans,” he said.

With the Commission of Inquiry into State Capture in full swing, this confirmation could not have come at a better time. If state resources have been abused, it needs to be presented to the commission.

South Africans, in the midst of a recession, are feeling the pinch. The last thing taxpayers want to hear is that their hard-earned money has been squandered.