The IFP says that South Africa will never win war against crime as long as law-enforcement agencies are themselves implicated in criminal activities. The party said this in response to reports in the City Press and other media, implicating some in the Intelligence Unit of being involved in “a rogue unit within the State Security Agency.” According to the report, the Unit known as the Special Operations Unit, consists of Glen Agliotti (convicted drug dealer), George Darnanovich (agent for SSA), Belinda Walter (agent for SSA), Thulani Dhlomo (Head of special operations in SSA) and Mandisa Makwena (Head of economic intelligence in SSA). It is this clandestine unit which is reported to have been instrumental in “hounding prosecutor Glynnis Breytenbach out of the National Prosecutions Agency;” and in efforts to save Richard Mdluli from prosecution, among other activities.
In reaction to the City Press report, Joshua Mazibuko, IFP Deputy National Spokesperson said: “The shocking revelations which alleged apparently with an element of credence, that some elements within the State Security Agency are colluding with criminals such as Mr Glen Agliotti to protect cigarette-smuggling cartels ended all hope that South Africa will ever win the war against crime.
“While we acknowledge the presence of many faithful and upright members of the law-enforcement agencies in this country, it is nevertheless obvious that there are many more corrupt and criminal elements who seem to call the shots in these agencies. And it seems as if government has fought and lost the war against these elements or it lacks the political will to deal ruthlessly with them.
“We call on all Ministers working in the security cluster not to take lightly these revelations; but to urgently institute an independent investigation which must reach to the bottom and unveil all these forces of darkness and ensure that they are ejected from the system and confined to the prison.”
