South Africa: Reporter's Notebook - State Security Agency's Campaign of Fear and Intimidation At SABC, and More

analysis

Serious concerns over the "clandestine nature" of State Security Agency (SSA) activities in policy and "non-sensitive operational" issues at the SABC are among a stack of written submissions filed with Parliament's ad hoc committee on the troubled SABC. These submissions have yet to be considered as MPs, who, over the past two days ploughed clause by clause through its working document that found that the SABC board had failed in its fiduciary and governance responsibilities, leaving the public broadcaster with R5.1-billion in irregular expenditure amid political interference. By MARIANNE MERTEN.

The State Security Agency played a role in what was described as a climate of fear and intimidation at the SABC during testimony before Parliament's ad hoc committee. This was reiterated on Friday, when at least one governing party MP pointed to the "misplaced" role of the SSA at the public broadcaster, focusing on lower level employees rather than its mandate of vetting.

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