Protecting the president: Preparations for Zuma’s imperial presidency began at least in 2008

From at least 2008, “Zuma’s spy”, Thulani Dlomo, had floated the idea of an exclusive Presidential Security Support Service dedicated solely to intelligence collection “to protect President Jacob Zuma when he came to power”, the Zondo Commission of Inquiry into State Capture heard on Wednesday.

Shortly after taking his oath of office, Zuma signed a proclamation that bypassed Parliament and collapsed five of South Africa’s agencies into the  single State Security Agency (SSA). 

The door was thus kicked open for the creation of an unlawful, parallel, secret security state, funded by public money, much of which remains unaccounted for, and which served Zuma’s personal and political interests for more than a decade.

The abuse occurred uninterrupted during the tenure of three ministers of state security, Siyabonga Cwele, David Mahlobo and Bongani Bongo, and was implemented by Maruti Nosi, Arthur Fraser and Thulani Dlomo.

The commission heard testimony from Ms K (identity protected) that while still in the employ of the KwaZulu-Natal Department of Social Development, Dlomo had set about selecting and training about 25 recruits, who were not processed through the SSA and operated outside of its formal structures.

These recruits were sent for training in a “foreign” country and on their return were issued with firearms and deployed to all provinces.

In 2012, Dlomo was appointed as the powerful head of the Special Operations Unit, and according to evidence, reported directly and exclusively to the president.

Members recruited by Dlomo who had been interviewed by investigators had also all confirmed that the unit reported to Dlomo, who reported to “the executive”.

While recruits had not signed contracts with the SSA, they were nevertheless issued with firearms by the agency.

Some of the firearms were later recovered but many have not been. The SSA also issued the “co-workers”, as they were termed, with ammunition. 

However, bullets later recovered by Project Veza investigators revealed that the firepower returned had not been SSA-issue and had come from elsewhere.

Project Veza was tasked with investigating allegations of irregularities and criminality at the SSA between 2012 and 2018.

Ms K, who has received threats, testified virtually from an undisclosed venue, and told the commission that Dlomo’s unit was effectively a private force which operated outside the structures of the SSA.

This was justified by those pushing for it, she said, after claims that Zuma had been “vulnerable to all kinds of threat”, including “the media”. However, no evidence to back up this claim was found. 

Zuma’s centralisation of intelligence services not only widened the mandate of the SSA but also usurped the functions of the SAPS with regard to VIP protection, and the South African Military Health Service with regard to the health of the president, the commission heard.

Ms K testified to various projects funded by the SSA, including the Protect Luthuli House campaign, which had involved accommodating and feeding  MKVA veterans bussed in to demonstrate a show of force in support of Zuma.

In 2017, Mokwena, who was a friend of first lady Thobeka Zuma (now estranged from Jacob Zuma and seeking divorce), was acquitted on charges of fraud, corruption and money laundering in relation to SARS training and research tenders.