[Some very interesting spy-games are going on in the country ever since the CIA unleashed this internal power struggle inside the ANC. Jan]

Johannesburg – National intelligence agency staff were on the verge of spying on Democratic Alliance leader Tony Leon when their plot was revealed.

The NIA, under the leadership of Billy Masetlha, also paid an agent to create false e-mails to make it seem as if there was a plot against Jacob Zuma.

These were the findings of the inspector-general of intelligence (IGI), Zolile Ngcakani, and his investigating team as stated in his report on the illegal espionage on Saki Macozoma.

Included in the report was the nature of the so-called Project Avani and the creation of false e-mails.

The report has been handed to President Thabo Mbeki.

Mbeki fired Masetlha on Wednesday, saying the relationship of trust between them had broken down.

Intelligence Minister Ronnie Kasrils told a media conference on Thursday the surveillance on Macozoma was unauthorised.

The IGI’s investigation found that the spying on Macozoma, a millionaire businessman and influential African National Congress member, and the creation of false e-mails formed part of Project Avani.

Had a ‘profound’ impact

Masetlha initiated the project to investigate whether the presidential succession debate held any danger for the country’s safety.

He did so without Kasrils’ knowledge.

The political dynamics within the ANC and other parties formed part of the intelligence collected by members of Project Avani.

The hoax e-mails, which were created by an NIA agent, according to the IGI, had a “profound” impact on Project Avani.

The report referred to IT specialist Vusi Kunene as an NIA agent.

According to the IGI report, senior NIA members didn’t want to simply accept the e-mails as true, but Masetlha used obstruction techniques to prevent their authenticity being questioned.

13 people’s phones ‘tapped’

Ngcakani’s investigation also found that at least three civilians had been spied on, and that the telephone conversations of at least 13 people had been listened to.

Government communications head Joel Netshitenzhe said at a news conference that court cases might follow from the report.

Ngcakani said the civilians were Macozoma and a former journalist – probably former Mail & Guardian editor Anton Harber, who is now a professor of journalism at Wits and who was spied on for a week.

The third was the Democratic Alliance leader, who was not actually spied on, because “he was not where he should have been when the espionage was supposed to commence”.

‘A crisis of confidence’

Kasrils, who was criticised for pronouncing the e-mails to be “a hoax” before Ngcakani’s investigation was complete, said the political situation at the time made him fearful of a crisis.

“It would have been a crisis of confidence in the government of this country, in its intelligence service and that crisis would have been reflected internationally.

“I was horrified, which is why I made the statement I made,” he said.

Ngcakani said: “Based on our evaluation of the veracity of the content of the e-mails – together with our evaluation of the technical feasibility of them being intercepted products, in our opinion the allegedly intercepted emails and chat rooms were, in fact, mock-ups that sought to resemble the online communication of ‘targets selected for interception’.”

Ngcakani said Project Avani was legitimate.

A legitimate mandate

“It was to access the impact of political dynamics unfolding in the country, on national stability, which is a job the NIA must do,” he said.

“It was then used by those injecting e-mail into it to influence and manipulate and manufacture intelligence,” he said.

Kasrils said the NIA was allowed to gather political intelligence where there was a legitimate mandate.

“That kind of exploration is not to be intrusive – it becomes illegal when it’s intrusive and where that intrusion was not properly authorised.”

He said it would be wrong to say that the investigation and issues involved only the ANC.

“These e-mails affect the whole rule of law, constitution and rights of people.

“They were invasive not only of ANC authors, but also eminent former journalists (Anton Harber), the leader of the opposition (Tony Leon) and public servants whose dignity and privacy has been attacked,” said Kasrils.

Source: News24.Com
URL: http://www.news24.com/News24/South_Africa/New…/p>