A few weeks ago City Press reported that the ANC Youth League is being helped by former and present government officials, including agents in the security forces, to obtain highly personal information about journalists and others who are critical of ANCYL president Julius Malema.
The ANCYL had even revealed details of the bank account of Dumisane Lubisi (a journalist at the City Press, which sells mainly to black readers), as well as the identity numbers of his daughters.
Among those said to have supplied the ANCYL with information is Billy Masetlha, sacked by President Thabo Mbeki in 2008 as head of the National Intelligence Agency, but an organisation in which reportedly he still has sway.
Masetlha belongs to the Fikile Mbalula camp. Mbalula, formerly ANCYL president, is Malema's choice for the key position of ANC secretary-general, presently held by Gwede Mantashe who is also chairman of the SA Communist Party. Malema is determined to drive the SACP out of the Tripartite Alliance, which wants to co-govern South Africa with the ANC.
The ANCYL blundered by lashing out at Lubisi, because he and City Press were able to hit back with a devastating expose of how confidential information is being traded to the ANCYL. Increasingly, critics of ANCYL president Julius Malema are no longer taking ANCYL attacks lying down.
Further confirmation of the methods being used by the ANCYL to intimidate its opponents comes from Dinga Nkhwashu (ANC/ANCYL and a practising attorney). Writing in these columns (April 11), he said: "Honestly, what makes the press and members of the public think that JZ...has any power and authority (morally and otherwise) to reign (Malema) in...It is through leverage that any contest is won...
"The Mail&Guardian almost uncovered the truth when it spoke to one politician in Limpopo who summed it up...all he (Malema) does is to know some unpleasant or compromising thing about you and then uses it to blackmail you...This country cannot be held ransom by a young boy who thinks that he is a law unto himself simply because he has some people in decisive positions by their (you know what I am referring to)".
City Press reported that disgruntled former government employees (from the Mbeki era?) are helping the ANCYL gather intelligence on Malema's enemies.
A City Press and Eyewitness News investigation claims that several former employees, who were either dismissed or resigned when faced with disciplinary and criminal charges, have teamed up to find jobs or financial gain through menaces to the new regime. Their first search for support has been among politically influential players, including the ANCYL; in return they secretly assist the ANCYL.
The obvious question is whether Malema knows the details of President Jacob Zuma's private life, more particularly his finances? The trial of Zuma's financial adviser, Schabir Shaik, revealed much of them. But, as one of Zuma's principal backers, did Malema pick up on details which were not revealed in court?
The most blatant attempt at intimidation (about Lubisi) was reported by the City Press (March 14). It immediately hit back: "Like a cornered tiger ANCYL president Julius Malema's claws are out...This week he turned his guns on the media, releasing a four-page document on City Press's Dumisane Lubisi alleging corruption and exposing all of the journalist's most private details, including his address, his childrens' identity numbers and his wife's business interests. It is a mish-mash of fabrication, hyperbole and nonsense mixed in with factual detail like identity numbers, bank accounts and telephone details.
"Other journalists have been maligned as unprofessional liars and loose women who sleep around for stories. This is dirty tricks against the media which has exposed his sub-standard business practices, his tax-dodging ways and the million and one ways in which Malema is no Mandela."
A question being asked is: How did Malema obtain details of Lubisi's bank accounts, his children's identity numbers and various other information if not through the spooks?
At the centre of the controversy, says City Press, is the customs border agent Michael Peega, sacked by the South African Revenue Service (Sars). He has compiled a controversial dossier for the ANCYL claiming that Malema is being targeted by the taxman.
Peega, dismissed by Sars last June on several charges of misconduct, is presently out on bail of R20 000, and facing trial as an alleged member of an international syndicate which engages in activities ranging from from illegal poaching of rhino to possession of illegal firearms.
Peega is said to collaborate with others to gather information about journalists and other politicians who have expressed concern publicly about Malema's lavish lifestyle and business interests. The information is then collated in "intelligence dossiers".
Sources who spoke to City Press and Eyewitness News on condition of anonymity claimed that Peega and others were using their contacts in government departments and banking institutions to compile these "dossiers".
A government official said the dossiers were then handed to the ANCYL to discredit those perceived as enemies.
At a National Press Club ceremony this month, President Zuma, who received the 2009 Newsmaker of the Year Award, effectively confirmed the existence of these dossiers when he said threats to journalists and digging up personal information on them had created a "totally unacceptable" scenario.
"What I have heard is actually shocking. We are now investigating journalists. For what?" Zuma asked.
The comments came after a group of journalists lodged a complaint against the ANCYL spokesperson, Floyd Shivambu, for intimidation and threats to expose confidential information. The dossiers, City Press says, "are sprinkled with a few facts to make them seem legitimate, but they are largely fictitious".
The ANCYL claimed it had information on journalists who took bribes in "brown envelopes", "sleep with politicians" to get scoops, while others side with the Cosatu/SACP Left.
City Press reports further that Peega and others operate from the plush offices of the ANCYL's investment company, Lembede Investment Holdings, Sandton. Also, this "team" has access to personal laptop computers, 3G connections and money to enable easy movement across the country to gather "intelligence".
Other City Press sources claim that Peega has engaged several government employees since then to gain access to information in their departments.
Peega claims to have had access to funds and political support in forming the team. After initially threatening to prevent City Press publishing the report, Peega described the allegations against him as "bullshit".
He denies working for the ANCYL or receiving payment from it. He denies knowing senior ANC members, although while in Durban on a drugs mission for SARS, he introduced his colleagues to ANC heavyweights such as Tony Yengeni, Fikile Mbalula and presidential spokesperson Zizi Kodwa.
City Press says Malema has used a dossier (which Peega admits he wrote) to divert growing media attention from his business interests in Limpopo. Malema claims that he and others linked to Zuma are targets of investigations by SARS. A further allegation made by Peega is that when Finance Minister Pravin Gordhan was commissioner, SARS created a unit called the National Research Group to examine the financial standing of people who supported Zuma.
There is nothing new in these sort of spy games. I recall that when the late Dr Raymond (Bill) Hoffenberg left South Africa with his family in 1968, after having a banning order served on him, Die Transvaler published a front-page story of his bank accounts. Where would it have obtained that information if not from the spooks of those days?
And what a loss Bill Hoffenberg was to South Africa. An endocrinologist with a world-wide reputation, he went to Britain where he became a professor, president of the Royal College of Physicians, received a knighthood and became president of Wolfson College, Oxford University.
The spooks' contribution was their parting gift to him - the final smear. Now the game of intimidation and smears is being replayed all over again.
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