Zille must bear all on hired spy

8 November 2015

The ANC Western Cape calls on the DA’s spy premier of the Western Cape Helen Zille to come clean on the latest revelations that her department indeed used taxpayer money to hire a state official known as a covert intelligence gatherer to do private investigative work for her. And then she must immediately resign for bringing this office into disrepute.

It is not the first time the DA is entangled in controversies about spying. There were allegations of spying on the DA’s Cape offices, a bunker paranoia mentality, the fact that numerous additional CCTV cameras were fixed on Zille floor when she was mayor of Cape Town and at her ivory tower offices as premier in the provincial building as well as spying on her own alliance when she was mayor that led to the Erasmus Commission of enquiry. In the latest incident it overstepped all boundaries and boarders on a corruptive, if not criminal action.

ANC Western Cape secretary Faiez Jacobs says: “It is time for Zille to disclose all before she vacates her office as there are already criminal charges against the individual she picked to conduct cloak and dagger intelligence work in her government. She tried to put up a smoke screen around this Captain Paul Scheepers and defended his application to the Western Cape High Court to gag the police on what they found in a raid on his private offices, Eagle Eye Solution Technologies.

“Zille must come clean, say exactly how she came across Scheepers and why a state department (which has access to the intelligence fraternity) opted to hire a state official in his private capacity (which could be illegal) to conduct private spy work. On which grounds were these decisions made? And were the search and or planting of surveillance devices extended to the part of the building that houses the legislature and offices of the opposition parties? Which other departments also used this spy officer? Why was an open and transparent or competitive tender process not used?

"The latest uncovering of spy allegations again raise questions on why Zille so vehemently fought the Erasmus commission and had it scrapped. She clearly has something to hide and her obsession with what others may say about her is telling of her nature.

“The time to hide the latest revelations is over. No amount of DA spin, lies, smoke and mirrors will aid. She must make public all information in detail. Failure to do so could result in her being prosecuted together with others who transgressed in hiring this officer who is already well paid by government to supposedly do government work.”

The ANC says a full probe must be instituted to get to the bottom of this matter as soon as possible.

Statement issued by Faiez Jacobs, ANC Western Cape Provincial Secretary, 8 November 2015