Leaked SSA report reveals DA, EFF, IFP part of US's network of contacts

Source: EWN Traffic
Author: Thabiso Goba

JOHANNESBURG - A leaked State Security Agency (SSA) report says the United States (US) has a network of contacts from the country's major political parties that provide it with intelligence.

This includes mainly the African National Congress (ANC), Democratic Alliance (DA), Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF), and the Inkatha Freedom Party (IFP).

Snippets of the report were published in Friday's Supreme Court of Appeal (SCA) ruling, which lifted a gag order on Independent Media from reporting on it.

The State Department has argued publication of the report would threaten national security, however, the SCA does not agree.

The 17-page intelligence report dealt mainly with the US's intelligence-gathering operation on the ruling party, the ANC.

However, in his ruling, SCA Judge Taki Makgoka revealed the US was also keeping tabs on opposition parties, according to the report.

He said a section of the report stated the US Consulate in Durban had managed to successfully gather intelligence on the IFP, EFF, and DA.

Makgoka said under the recommendation section of the report, it said the US government cultivated good access within the ruling party in order to influence policy direction in the country and or how it could be subverted.

Makgoka cleared the way for the Independent Media Group to publish details of the report, saying he was not convinced this would threaten national security.