Phones of minister Ayanda Dlodlo and other officials found to be cloned

28 February 2020 - 11:09
By Reuters
The cloning was discovered when individuals received texts from deputy minister Zizi Kodwa's phone that he had not sent
Image: Moeletsi Mabe The cloning was discovered when individuals received texts from deputy minister Zizi Kodwa's phone that he had not sent

Mobile phones belonging to state security minister Ayanda Dlodlo, her deputy and several officials from the State Security Agency (SSA) were found this week to have been cloned, Dlodlo's spokesperson said on Wednesday.

The spokesperson said the incident was being investigated by police. He said it was not who known who was behind the attack or if any sensitive information had been compromised.

“We don't have further information, all we know is that the phones were cloned,” the spokesperson told Reuters, adding that the cloning was discovered when individuals received texts from deputy minister Zizi Kodwa's phone that he had not sent.

The incident is the latest to raise embarrassing questions for the agency over its ability to properly protect the sensitive materials it handles in the course of its work.

It follows a robbery at SSA headquarters in Pretoria earlier in February in which money and documents were stolen.