DA wants urgent meeting over State Security Agency robbery

The DA wants an “urgent” parliamentary meeting over a reported robbery at the State Security Agency's offices in Pretoria.

The Sunday Independent reported on Sunday that an “undisclosed amount of money and sensitive documents have been stolen from the State Security Agency offices in Pretoria, in what is believed to be a politically-motivated inside job”.

The robbers — two weeks ago — reportedly made off with “classified documents, an undisclosed amount of money in local and foreign currency and CCTV cameras, without breaking a door or a window”.

The publication quoted Hawks spokesperson Brig Hangwani Mulaudzi as confirming that a burglary case at the SSA was being investigated.

In the wake of the report, the DA's shadow minister of state security, MP Dianne Kohler Barnard, said that she would request an urgent portfolio committee meeting with the state security minister Ayanda Dlodlo and the State Security Agency.

Kohler Barnard said that this was the second serious incident at the agency in recent years.

“A day after Christmas in 2015 they were robbed of R17m in foreign currency, as thieves strolled into the Lyttelton property, opened the safe, and strolled out.

“Now it has been revealed that once again the same headquarters has been robbed — but this time the thieves even stole the CCTV cameras,” she said.

Kohler Barnard added that the party was concerned that not only were cash and equipment taken, “but also sensitive documents”.