IGI confirms investigation into ‘intelligence report’ leading to the firing of Pravin Gordhan

10 April 2017

The Inspector-General of Intelligence, Dr. Sethlomamaru Dintwe, has confirmed that the origins of the “intelligence report” that reportedly led to the firing of former Minister of Finance, Pravin Gordhan, will be investigated.

On 31 March 2017 I wrote to the Inspector-General of Intelligence, Dr Dr. Sethlomamaru Dintwe, requesting him to:

“…investigate inter alia whether the ‘intelligence report’ was produced, or disseminated, by any element within the national intelligence structure, or whether any element within the national intelligence structure played any role in the production, or the dissemination, of the ‘intelligence report’, and if so, whether same amounted to a violation of the Constitution, any law, any regulation and/or any policy applicable to the national intelligence structure in South Africa.”

The request followed reports suggesting that President Jacob Zuma acted on a bizarre “intelligence report”, claiming the former minister intended to use an international investor roadshow to mobilise people to overthrow the state, as a pretext to cancel the former minister’s international investor roadshow and to request his immediate return to South Africa.

On 05 April 2017 the Inspector-General of Intelligence, Dr. Sethlomamru Dintwe, replied as follows:

“You are advised that the matter is under investigation and I will revert to you in due course.”

We welcome the investigation because we need to get to the bottom of whether any element within the national intelligence structure played any role in the production or dissemination of the bizarre “intelligence report” reportedly used as a pretext for the cabinet reshuffle which pulled the plug on the economy and triggered “junk status” in South Africa.

Issued by David Maynier, DA Shadow Minister of Finance, 10 April 2017