Plot to kill Nkosazana

Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma, the chairman of the African Union, was the target of an assassination plot.

Secret documents obtained by UAE news network Al Jazeera from the South African State Security Agency and released last night reveal that Dlamini-Zuma allegedly faced "an imminent threat" to her life days after she took office in October 2012.

Ethiopian agents accused Sudan of involvement in the plan to kill her in Addis Ababa.

The spy cables, as the leaks by Al Jazeera have been dubbed, show that both South African and Ethiopian intelligence agencies were unprepared for the threat, allegedly admitting they did not have enough time to "neutralise the operation" or apprehend those involved.

The cables reveal how unarmed AU bodyguards "slept in corridors for four days without food or water" because the AU did not arrange accommodation and resources.

"This created a gap since they had to go out of the hotel to get food and water, leaving the chairperson unattended, therefore vulnerable," the documents read.

Attempts to reach Sudan's government for comment last night were not successful.

The leaked intelligence cables affect the world's major intelligence agencies, including the CIA, MI6 and Israel's Mossad and span the period from 2006 to December last year.

Other explosive revelations in the cables include that:

• A secret security assessment by South African intelligence says foreign espionage is booming, with more than 140 foreign spies estimated to be operating in the country - and that the state is doing a poor job of protecting itself. The report, written in October 2009, slams poor security awareness among civil servants, who regularly fail to observe the most basic procedures, leaving classified information unlocked and failing to adequately vet new recruits.
• Foreign intelligence personnel continue to enjoy uncontrolled access to the departments of International Relations and Cooperation and of Trade and Industry.
• South Africa has "experienced the theft of Rooivalk helicopter blueprints by a known foreign intelligence service" (not named) and the theft of missile systems and other intellectual property "at several state-owned enterprises".
• Private security firms represent a "perfect conduit" for foreign spies and "organisations hostile to the state". They are effectively doing as they please for "whoever is willing to buy them".
• Foreign spies played "an active role" in persuading decision-makers as they finalised the controversial arms deal in 1999.
• A group claiming to be former agents of Mossad threatened to unleash a devastating cyber attack on South Africa unless the government cracked down on the growing campaign to boycott Israel.

Information released by Al Jazeera shows that on October 22 2012 - a week after Dlamini-Zuma became chair of the AU - South African intelligence headquarters received information about a possible assassination attempt. Four extra bodyguards were assigned to her.

At an emergency meeting, South Africa's acting head of military intelligence, General T Nyembe, told colleagues "an unnamed state" was behind the plot, and there had been "another alert which further pointed out a potential assassination plot . to be carried out at a different venue".

International Relations spokes-man Clayson Monyela said: "We are taking the same attitude as with the Snowden documents; we will not be commenting."

Defence analyst Helmoed Heitman said he could not see why someone would want Dlamini-Zuma assassinated.

"The political and diplomatic fallout would have been immeasurable.

"It's not fair to say we or the Ethiopians were caught with our pants down. We may be stupid in a number of things, but the proof is in the pudding: Dlamini-Zuma is alive, which means there was no plot, it failed or was foiled," Heitman said.

How the leaks might have been engineered

Independent forensic expert Danny Myburgh believes the leaks could be the result of:

• A hack into the computer systems of the State Security Agency or one of the intelligence cluster's communications monitoring centres. In terms of the Regulation of the Interception of Communications Act, the centres may monitor any form of communications within South Africa;
• The revenge of a disgruntled employee of the State Security Agency.

What could the leaker be charged with:

• Espionage;
• Treason;
• Sabotage;
• Sedition;
• Contravention of the Communications Act.

What is the State Security Agency?

It was established in 2009 and is responsible for civilian intelligence gathering;

It incorporates the former National Intelligence Agency, the SA Secret Service, the SA National Academy of Intelligence, the National Communications Centre and state cyber security company Comsec.

Graeme Hosken

How to spot an Iranian spy

Polite spies, ostrich meat and an "international row" about parking signs - these are the more unusual revelations to emerge in the spy cables that have been released by TV network Al-Jazeera.

The documents have given the world a peek into the daily routine of intelligence workers.

As for the international bickering, some telegrams from the Algerians demand that "no parking" signs be set up outside their South African embassy. They note that the British and US embassies have such signs.

There are tips on spotting an Iranian spy: "The Iranian intelligence member is highly motivated and difficult to recruit. He is courteous and persuasive."

Shaun Smillie