SA tight-lipped on spying spat with UK

The South African government is keeping quiet about the brewing diplomatic spat with the UK.

An exposé by the UK newspaper The Guardian has revealed that the British government launched clandestine intelligence-gathering operations against the South African High Commission in 2009.

It has now emerged that the spying allegedly began in 2005 and included hacking into delegates' BlackBerries to monitor calls and e-mails.

The British High Commission yesterday said it was established government policy not to comment in detail on matters of national security.

South African International Relations and Cooperation Department spokesman, Clayson Monyela said the department would comment "when ready".

The height of the spying, according to an international relations source, was during the ANC elective conference in Polokwane.