DA to request full information from SABC following admission it works with SSA to manage leaks

25 November 2019

The Democratic Alliance (DA) will submit parliamentary questions to request the minutes of a SABC board meeting in which discussions reportedly took place to spy on the broadcaster’s staff to curb the prevalence of “leaking.” We will also request a full account of when and how the SABC worked with the State Security Agency (SSA) following its admission of working with the agency to manage leaks.

According to a report in the Sunday Times yesterday, at meeting of the SABC board resolved to be approach the SSA to assist in managing leaks.

Whilst the SABC dismissed these allegations as “misrepresentations,” it has admitted to working with the SSA to manage leaks and therefore, by implication allowing it to spy on and track down staffers who “leaked” information.

The Acting Spokesperson of the SABC, Mmoni Seapolelo admitted yesterday that the SABC works with the SSA in matters regarding disclosure of confidential company information to third parties and the media.

“The mere fact that the Sunday Times newspaper is in possession of confidential Board minutes and quotes its contents is indicative that there is a problem that needs to be dealt with. Whether the SABC engages with the SSA or private security experts, it remains entitled to investigate breaches of confidentiality and to protect its information.”

This is indeed a serious matter which smacks of the Motsoeneng-era campaign of a climate of fear and intimidation of staff by the board and management of the public broadcaster. The SABC simply cannot afford to revert back to that awful period in its history, where then too, the SSA was used to spy on staff to “curb leaks.”

The work of the SSA is not to engage in the internal squabbles of the public broadcaster, but to advance South Africa's national security interests. Should the SABC see it fit to investigate leaks it should use internal mechanisms not the SSA.

The DA will not allow for the SABC to revert into a space where there is fear and intimidation. We look forward to a full and detailed response to our parliamentary questions regarding the SSA’s involvement at the SABC from the Minister of Communications and Digital Technologies, Stella Ndabeni-Abrahams

Issued by Phumzile Van Damme, DA Shadow Minister of Communications, Telecommunications and Postal Services, 25 November 2019