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"description": "Daily Maverick is an independent online news publication and weekly print newspaper in South Africa.\r\n\r\nIt is known for breaking some of the defining stories of South Africa in the past decade, including the Marikana Massacre, in which the South African Police Service killed 34 miners in August 2012.\r\n\r\nIt also investigated the Gupta Leaks, which won the 2019 Global Shining Light Award.\r\n\r\nThat investigation was credited with exposing the Indian-born Gupta family and former President Jacob Zuma for their role in the systemic political corruption referred to as state capture.\r\n\r\nIn 2018, co-founder and editor-in-chief Branislav ‘Branko’ Brkic was awarded the country’s prestigious Nat Nakasa Award, recognised for initiating the investigative collaboration after receiving the hard drive that included the email tranche.\r\n\r\nIn 2021, co-founder and CEO Styli Charalambous also received the award.\r\n\r\nDaily Maverick covers the latest political and news developments in South Africa with breaking news updates, analysis, opinions and more.",
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"contents": "<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Two members of the State Security Agency’s Covert Support Unit have been arrested and charged for allegedly misappropriating about R6-million from the agency’s covert account.</span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The crimes all allegedly occurred between 2010 and 2017 during then president Jacob Zuma’s tenure.</span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) alleges that between those dates, Ntshavheni Prince Makhwathana, a former manager of the Covert Support Unit, and Matome Solomon Ralebipi, a former National Intelligence Agency agent, stole about R6-million in state funds allocated for the National Intelligence Agency, which later became the State Security Agency.</span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">It was Zuma who, by unconstitutional proclamation, collapsed foreign and domestic intelligence into one agency in 2009.</span>\r\n\r\n<b>Read more:</b> <a href=\"https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/article/2023-04-20-the-invisible-matrix-secrets-of-zumas-rogue-ssa-spies-resurface-in-evidence-at-hearing/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The Invisible Matrix — secrets of Zuma’s rogue SSA spies resurface in evidence at hearing</span></a>\r\n<h4><b>Properties</b></h4>\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Working with the State Security Agency, the NPA’s Investigative Directorate Against Corruption arrested the two suspects this week. Both appeared in the Pretoria Specialised Crimes Court on Monday, 31 March 2025. </span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">They will face charges of money laundering, fraud, perjury and uttering. Makhwathana was released on R100,000 bail and Ralebipi on R150,000. The case has been postponed for pre-trial to 23 June.</span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Both were ordered to surrender documents and to not have direct contact with any witnesses.</span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The NPA said that further acts of money laundering were uncovered, utilising Ralebipi Properties CC, a corporate entity, which was allegedly created to serve as a money laundering platform to conceal the origin of the proceeds of crime and the true ownership of the two business properties that were purchased.</span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The two are accused of acts of fraud forgery, and uttering a perjury “to conceal the unlawful misappropriation of these funds”.</span>\r\n<h4><b>Vanguard of State Capture </b></h4>\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The State Security Agency had a revolving door of director-generals, including Jeff Maqetuka, between 2009 and 2011, Dennis Thokozani Dlomo from 2011 to 2013, Sonto Kudjoe between 2013 and 2016 and the controversial Arthur Fraser from 2016 to 2018. </span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Fraser </span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">resigned in 2011 as deputy director-general in charge of “offensive and counter-intelligence” after being investigated for the parallel Principal Agent Network within the National Intelligence Agency. He rejoined in 2016 as director-general.</span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The State Security Agency was identified as the vanguard of State Capture by the Zondo Commission of Inquiry into State Capture, and attempted to infiltrate the South African Revenue Service, Eskom and other state institutions.</span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">It was formed just prior to Zuma assuming the highest office, and repurposing the agency to serve his personal and political needs.</span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Following a lengthy litigation process Ralebipi succeeded in obtaining a high court ruling that the properties be registered in the name of Ralebipi Properties CC of which he was the sole member, the NPA alleges.</span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The two men “enjoy relationships of trust, representing the people of South Africa and the National Intelligence Agency/State Security Agency”. They exploited these positions and the covert nature of the Covert Support Unit operations which dispensed with a number of financial safeguards, for personal gain.</span>\r\n\r\n<b>Read more:</b> <a href=\"https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/article/2022-06-23-dramatis-personae-some-of-the-kingpins-in-the-capture-of-sa-government/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Dramatis Personae: Some of the kingpins in the capture of SA government</span></a>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Makhwathana was suspended in July 2010 for alleged misconduct, but this was done without a charge sheet. He was reinstated in 2016 by then minister of State Security, David Mahlobo, now a deputy minister of human settlements, water and sanitation. All charges were then dropped.</span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">During his suspension he earned about R6-million.</span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Makhwathana was charged in January 2016 with more than 100 crimes, including the alleged promotion of State Security Agency employees to salary levels he was not authorised to approve. </span><b>DM</b>",
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