The State Security Agency’s (SSA’s) disciplinary case against suspended foreign branch head Robert McBride failed to take off because he refused to sign and acknowledge his suspension letter in July 2021 – although nothing in law stops the SSA from going ahead with its disciplinary hearing.
Consequently, McBride and the agency are at a stalemate even though his employment contract expires in less than three months. For more than 21 months, the agency has been unable to pursue disciplinary action against McBride.
The case remains a thorny subject in Musanda, the agency’s headquarters commonly referred to as “the farm”, with SSA director-general, ambassador Thembisile Majola being alleged to have threatened to resign if McBride was reinstated.
A senior official sympathetic to McBride said while he was proficient at his work, he had “a maverick style of doing things”, which made it impossible for him to work under any boss.
On the other hand, the person alleged, Majola was also power hungry and on a quest to fill up senior posts with her allies. “She is trying to get exemptions not to advertise posts so that she can hire her people”.
The defence and military veterans department recently offered to unburden the agency by offering McBride the position of acting director-general.
Sunday World understands that McBride was open to the move, but only if his suspension was revoked. This was to ensure he did not leave the SSA with a dark cloud over his head.
Insiders said Majola “would have none of it. She doesn’t want him to return to work. McBride doesn’t have to sit at home. His case collapsed a long time ago and he is still paid his full salary,” said a spook.
The SSA was cautious about commenting, saying a disciplinary process was necessary to establish if there was sufficient evidence to substantiate the allegations.
In response to questions, Majola said McBride’s “suspension and related matters remain open to a disciplinary process and possible litigation”, underscoring that the allegations against him have yet to be proven. “Therefore, any comment from SSA will jeopardise both its case and violate McBride’s rights,” said Majola.
Former SSA acting director-general, ambassador Gab Msimanga, suspended McBride in July 2021 following a diplomatic embarrassment earlier that year when SA spies were left stranded in Mozambique after a failed covert operation in Cabo Delgado.
Although Sunday World reported last week that former state security minister Ayanda Dlodlo had a hand in the suspension, a person close to Dlodlo, now the World Bank group executive director for Angola, Nigeria and South Africa, said ministers play no role in disciplinary processes. However, Dlodlo’s ally disagreed Msimanga had not followed the proper process before suspending McBride, which was mentioned as the main reason why the disciplinary case could not be concluded.
Also, said the source, the Mozambique and SA memorandum of agreement protected McBride. “It may just be that he withheld some information reasonably to avoid jeopardising the mission and that he failed to brief his political principals
after the incident.”
Majola succeeded Msimanga in February last year, meaning that McBride’s case would have been among the priority files on her desk.
Another SSA insider said Majola’s agenda to grab power led to a run-in with the former director of the office of interception centres (OIC), who also resigned.
Sources alleged that Majola wanted the director to report to her, adding that such a move would compromise the office’s independence. Sunday World learnt that the heated dispute over the OIC’s independence reached the joint standing committee on intelligence in parliament. Committee chairperson Joseph Maake referred questions to the SSA.
Majola said: “Certain offices, like the OIC, are functionally independent but administratively report to the director-general’s office without compromising its independence. The minister is always available to intervene in instances that compromise the OIC’s independence.”
Regarding claims that she wanted to recall one of SA’s ambassadors overseas to take the post of one of the deputy directors general, Majola said: “Without comment on specific allegations related to recruitment, employment and redeployment of members of SSA, it must be noted that there are prescribed processes that are followed.”
McBride did not comment.
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