Johannesburg – The future of acting director- general of the State Security Agency (SSA) Loyiso Jafta has come under the spotlight after he was heavily pounded in parliament this week by State Security Minister Ayanda Dlodlo, who is his immediate political boss.
It is yet to be seen whether Jaft a may be forced to retract parts of his testimony at the Zondo Commission that relate to allegations of a judge having been bribed by the SSA.
In a scathing attack on Jafta in parliament this week, Dlodlo said that there was no concrete evidence that judges or a judge had been paid by the agency.
She said Jafta, who is the accounting officer of the department, had relied on information provided by an unnamed discredited information peddler – a statement that appears to have put Jafta’s future in doubt.
“Once there are half-truths that are given to a commission, half-truths [given] to the public, I have every responsibility and I intend to exercise that responsibility, to ensure that the people of this country know the truth. I do not want to set a narrative that says judges are bribed in South Africa because I have no evidence to that effect,” she told MPs.
Jafta had a fallout with Dlodlo after not sharing his affidavit to the Zondo Commission with the minister, whose attempts to stop the proceedings were rejected by the deputy chief justice.
The declassification of some of the information, which is supposed to be done in consultation with the minister, has also come into question.
Jafta told the commission that “we have very strong circumstantial evidence some of the money went into the hands of members, or a member, of the judiciary”. Last week, Sunday World reported that relations between Jafta and SSA head of domestic branch, Sam Muofhe, have also soured.
A source familiar with the issue in the SSA said knives were out for Jafta.
“Loyiso has to retract his evidence that judges or a judge were paid by the agency. The judiciary is under siege now because of the SSA. We now have a former president [Jacob Zuma] who doesn’t want to heed the decision of a court,” the source said.
A recommendation by former safety and security minister Sydney Mufamadi that the agency must do away with its two directors-general system and revert to the old structure of just having heads of the domestic and foreign branch is set to render Jafta’s position obsolete as it is believed that President Cyril Ramaphosa is expected to implement it.
SSA spokesperson Mava Scott had not responded for comment at the time of going to press.
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