DA welcomes investigation into Zuma's top spy

The Democratic Alliance (DA) welcomes the investigation by the Office of the Inspector-General of Intelligence into the appointment of Thulani Dhlomo as head of Covert Operations in the State Security Agency (SSA).

On 12 June 2012, I wrote to the Inspector-General of Intelligence, Advocate Faith Radebe, requesting an investigation into the appointment of Thulani Dhlomo as head of Covert Operations in SSA. 

This followed a report in the City Press exposing that Thulani Dhlomo had reportedly been the subject of the R45 million corruption probe by the Treasury in KwaZulu-Natal before being appointed to the SSA.

Moreover, Thulani Dhlomo reportedly had no experience within the national intelligence structure and allegedly told his colleagues that he "only reports to Zuma".

On 21 June 2012 the Office of the Inspector-General confirmed that an investigation had been launched, following my complaint, into the appointment of Thulani Dhlomo as head of Covert Operations in the SSA.

If the reports in the City Press are correct, then Thulani Dhlomo should never have been appointed to the SSA, let alone as the head of Covert Operations.

We do not need a repeat of the Richard Mdluli saga tearing apart the SSA.

We have to ensure that the SSA is not drawn into party politics, promoting the interests of a political party - or faction of a political party - in South Africa.

We should heed the words of the Reverend Frank Chikane, who, in his recent book entitled Eight Days in September: The Removal of Thabo Mbeki, warns that:"corrupt intelligence services are the most dangerous threat to the security and integrity of the state, the country and its people".

Statement issued by David Maynier MP, DA Spokesperson on State Security, June 25 2012

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