Spying at Luthuli House - DA requests investigation by Inspector General of Intelligence 

The DA will request that the Inspector General of Intelligence, Adv Faith Radebe, investigate the alleged use of state intelligence operatives - as reported in the media - by the ANC to ‘vet' ANC candidates.

According to the Mail and Guardian former and current state security agency spies have been deployed to Luthuli House to screen prospective members of Parliament - a process that has been dubbed as Project Veritas (see here). 

The screening of ANC candidates is not the state's responsibility but the ANC itself. 

Furthermore, the use of state intelligence operatives for political purposes is unconstitutional, and in contravention of state intelligence legislation. 

In terms of section 199 (7) of the Constitution, the country's security services may not further the interests of a political party in a partisan manner. 

The domestic intelligence mandate specifically excludes "...political activity, advocacy, protest or dissent", in terms of the General Intelligence Laws Amendment Act of 2013.

This is not the first such abuse of this agency by the ANC. Just last year, it was reported that a team of state intelligence operatives and police officers were dispatched to Mpumalanga to counter any moves by ‘rogue elements' within and outside the ANC who intended to embarrass President Zuma by booing him in front of the media. 

This abuse of state resources for political objectives is a threat to our democracy and our Constitution. It must be stamped out urgently.

The DA will do everything possible to ensure that this is made a top priority.

Statement issued by Dirk Stubbe MP, DA Shadow Minister of State Security, March 30 2014

Click here to sign up to receive our free daily headline email newsletter