CIA INVESTIGATIONS -OLD APARTHEID TACTICS

The apartheid era tactic of spy labelling is alive and well. For the Minister of State security to name names at a media briefing in parliament without substantiation is reckless, irresponsible and dangerous. What he is doing is a dead giveaway. We condemn this patent abuse of power.

The Security Police of the apartheid state perfected the harassment of those who challenged the system and stood up against oppression. We are now witnessing the same under the Zuma administration.

The very people who accused Former President Thabo Mbeki of misusing state machinery to achieve political objectives, are now doing the same. While Julius Malema was ready to kill for Zuma, he was above all suspicion. In fact, President Zuma anointed him as a future president. He was unmistakeably “presidential material”. Now that he is a fierce opponent of the ruling party, the Minister casts suspicion on him without any justification.

When President Zuma appointed Thuli Madonsela as Public Protector, she was a fit and proper person. However, when she made findings against him in respect of Nkandla, she became an enemy marked out for harassment. The Minister of State Security the Deputy Minister of Defence and Chairperson of the Justice Committee all targeted her. They had a political axe to grind with her and they openly did just that. Despicably and unashamedly, they attacked her. The Minister of State Security announced an investigation against her as a possible CIA spy,What absurdity the Minister is displaying.

The same happened with the personable and dynamic Lindiwe Mazibuko. As soon as her star began to rise and she started to challenge President Zuma head-on, she became a threat. Conveniently, she too was now branded as a CIA spy.

We won't be surprise that very soon the Minister will announce investigations against Zwelinzima Vavi and Irvin Jim. A blog by a nameless author is all the Minister will need.

Cope is alarmed at how the ruling party is eroding the rule of law. Cope is alarmed at how the ruling party is abusing state machinery to endanger innocent people by falsely implicating them in espionage. COPE is alarmed at the drift towards dictatorship where security forces will take over.

The people of our country must say with one voice that no one will silence them. Let us stand up against those who are hell-bent in destroying our hard fought freedom and who will trample on our democracy.

Cope wants to know from the Minister whether he had thoroughly satisfied himself of the credibility and reliability of the source of the allegation. If he did not do so scrupulously, he will have given the game away.

Cope rejects the Minister’s unfounded and baseless insinuations against Madonsela, Malema and Mazibuko with the utter contempt they deserve. He must come with facts to persuade us otherwise. The ruling party is making South Africa lose all the respect it had gained since 1994.

Statement issued by Dennis Bloem, Cope Spokesperson, May 6 2015