Presidency denies roping in SSA to quash anti-ANC coverage at SABC

JOHANNESBURG - The Presidency has vehemently denied claims that some officials at the State Security Agency (SSA) have been roped in to quash any anti-ANC coverage in the media in the build-up to national elections.

This is after Sunday newspaper the City Press alleged that the head of SABC news Moshoeshoe Monare had been targeted by the SSA in what’s been described as attempts at intimidation.

It’s believed Monare was recently contacted by SSA agents to complete his top-level vetting and security clearance two years into the job at the public broadcaster.

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The call to SABC executive Monare from the SSA comes a month before the hotly contested national elections.

The proximity of the two events raised some suspicion that the agency had been instructed to target Monare following a leaked ANC audio of a meeting by the party’s national executive committee (NEC).

In the meeting, ANC president Cyril Ramaphosa can be heard telling NEC members that the party would challenge any negative reports against it.

Presidential spokesperson Vincent Magwenya says there’s no link between the ANC’s plans and the SSA’s call to Monare.

Instead, Magwenya said the vetting process stalled in 2022 because of Monare’s failure to be forthcoming.

“Upon his appointment, Mr Monare gave consent to the vetting process and completed the form that was furnished to him. He went on to submit some, but not all of the information that was required. The process was then stalled when Mr Monare did not want to subject himself to a polygraph test, which is part of the vetting process.”

To give merit to government’s processes, Magwenya says other SABC executives are also currently being vetted.