Zuma has not approached State Security Minister about spy claims
18 July 2019
Former president Jacob Zuma has not approached State Security Minister Ayando Dlodlo about his claims that intelligence agencies ran a smear campaign to assassinate his character since the 1990s.
In his testimony before the state capture commission of inquiry on Monday, Zuma claimed that while he was the ANC's intelligence chief in the 1990s, he received an intelligence report which stated that three intelligence organisations met and discussed him.
He did not name the organisations but said they started a process of "character assassination" against him.
"I have been vilified, alleged to be the king of corrupt people," Zuma complained.
Zuma also alleged that these spies were nurtured in the ANC so that they could one day lead the party.
He claimed that there were several attempts on his life and that these included suicide bombers.
Asked about this at a press briefing before her budget vote speech, Dlodlo said: "Has president Jacob Zuma raised the issue of character assassination with me? He has not."
"I'm also not aware if he had raised it with my predecessors.
"But what I must say is that those are issues before the Zondo commission. And I would like to leave the Zondo commission to do its work. And once they have concluded their work, they will give their report to the president, or if any of the people who appeared before the Zondo commission actually approach us, we will take that as it comes. But for now, there has been no interaction with regards to that," Dlodlo said.
Dlodlo and her deputy, Zizi Kodwa, smiled when News24 asked how many suicide bombing attempts the SSA had foiled in recent years, but Dlodlo passed the question on to acting director general, Loyiso Jafta.
"I'm afraid, if I ever divulged any detailed information on what we do on the terrorism front, then the minister would have to dismiss me the moment this session comes to an end, so I'm afraid we can't give you an answer there," Jafta said.
