By Lehlohonolo Lehana.
The State Security Agency (SSA) has distanced itself from claims made in the report about allegations of corruption and impropriety within judiciary.
On Monday, United Democratic Alliance (UDM) leader, General Bantu Holomisa raised concerns about the possibility of “judicial capture” after a leaked report purportedly authored by former spy boss Thembisile Majola, who resigned this month, surfaced.
The SSA said it “has noted, with concern, a document that is doing the rounds on social media purporting to be some intelligence report on Judicial Corruption.
“The State Security Agency would like to distance itself and the Director General from such a report. No further comment will be made in this regard,” the agency said.
Holomisa has asked the Joint Standing Committee on Intelligence to look into Majola’s report.
In his letter written to the committee’s chairperson Jerome Maake on Monday, Holomisa said he anonymously received the 54-page “classified” report and expressed his concern over the contents of the document.
[The report] contains highly shocking and damaging assertions that could affect the local and international integrity and reputation of the South African judiciary and several prominent judges, as well as have implications for the Judicial Conduct Committee and Legal Aid South Africa.
“Given the length of the report and the detail given therein, it strikes one as having been made of a considered mind and that this information should be deemed of critical national importance,” the UDM leader said.
Holomisa urged the committee on intelligence to verify the report.
“I would, therefore, request that the Joint Standing Committee on Intelligence should establish its veracity with Majola or with the Inspector General of Intelligence [Imtiaz Fazel] and that it considers the content with the seriousness it deserves, “he continued.
Judges have come under criticism in recent times, highlighting the “less-than happy relations” between the courts and politicians.