Leko_Dunga

Recent disclosures in the Gauteng High Court corruption trial of former SSA Special Operations head Thulani "Silence" Dlomo and his deputy, Patrick Mshothola, confirm that the State Security Agency (SSA) infiltrated the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) to conduct surveillance and incentivize the defection of members to the African National Congress (ANC). Following successful litigation by several media organizations and civil society groups against the SSA’s request for closed proceedings, Judge Mashudu Munzhelele mandated the release of redacted intelligence records and authorized media access to the trial. **Covert Operations: Project Mayibuye and "Safe Return"** The infiltration was facilitated through Operation Mayibuye, an off-the-books SSA initiative established in 2015 during the Jacob Zuma administration, which included the sub-operations "Safe Return" and "Sesikhona." The initiative originated following the EFF’s emergence in 2013 and its subsequent electoral performance in 2014, which diminished the ANC’s youth and grassroots support. The SSA’s Special Operations Unit (SOU) leveraged these resources to target the EFF’s organizational integrity rather than legitimate security concerns. The "Safe Return" strategy involved embedding operatives to monitor leadership, exacerbate internal factionalism, and pressure disillusioned members to return to the ANC. **Constitutional Assessment** The High-Level Review Panel on the SSA and the Zondo Commission of Inquiry into State Capture both categorized Operation Mayibuye as unconstitutional, concluding that the SSA had been repurposed to advance the partisan interests of the ruling party and the presidency at the time. **Corruption Prosecution** Criminal proceedings against Dlomo and Mshothola have provided judicial verification of these operations. The pair face charges including fraud, forgery, and theft under the Prevention and Combating of Corrupt Activities Act, specifically regarding the alleged misappropriation of R12 million in 2015. These funds were reportedly withdrawn in three tranches under the pretense of compensating a service provider for covert work related to Operation Mayibuye. Discrepancies identified by the Investigating Directorate Against Corruption (IDAC) revealed that the entity named on the invoices did not receive the designated funds. The company director testified that he had no prior association with Dlomo, did not execute the contract, and that his signature was fraudulently obtained. The conflict regarding transparency versus judicial confidentiality emerged after the State Security Agency’s (SSA) unsuccessful attempt to restrict public access to the proceedings: Initial Procedural Seclusion: On 14 October, the court initially ordered a public and media blackout, citing SSA concerns that open testimony could compromise intelligence methodologies, operational personnel, and international partnerships. Media Advocacy: Media24 (News24), Daily Maverick, the Mail & Guardian, and the Campaign for Free Expression (CFE) filed an urgent intervention, contending that national security protocols must not be leveraged to obstruct the disclosure of corruption, misappropriation of public funds, or illicit domestic political surveillance.