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The FF Plus has expressed outrage at allegations that right-wing terror group the Boeremag had "infiltrated" the State Information Technology Agency (SITA), calling them a smokescreen for the agency's own inadequacies.
This after the Standing Committee on Public Accounts (Scopa) heard on Wednesday that SITA employees gave Boeremag member Andre du Toit – who is serving a prison sentence after being convicted for treason – financial and other assistance.
READ: Boeremag link to state IT company and dodgy police supplier
"The mere fact that the police and SITA are infiltrated is shocking and serves as evidence of the complete ineptitude of the personnel that should operate and safeguard the system," said FF Plus leader Pieter Groenewald in a statement.
"It is also outrageous of police commissioner Khehla Sitole to say without any evidence that the so-called Boeremag infiltrated the system. It looks like nothing other than a smokescreen to hide SITA's inefficiency and ineptitude."
At the meeting, DA MP Tim Brauteseth referred to correspondence between current and former employees of SITA and Du Toit.
The executive director of the Independent Police Investigative Directorate, Robert McBride, also said he had brought this under the former police commissioner's attention, to no effect. SITA CEO Setumo Mohapi said the agency had become aware of the exchanges last year after an internal investigation.
Lifestyle audits
Groenewald said Sitole should explain how it was possible that the state had information about who had "infiltrated" its most secret information system but nobody had been arrested.
In a statement released after their meeting, Scopa said it wanted lifestyle audits conducted on South African Police Service (SAPS) and SITA employees.
"This is due to the information Scopa received today (Wednesday) from SITA, which shows corrupt relationships between some of the employees of SITA and service providers," read the statement.
"The committee is concerned about the collusion between SITA officials and the convicted Boeremag member Mr Andre du Toit, which led to SITA officials giving financial and other assistance to Mr Du Toit while he was in prison."
The committee also wants details of SITA officials who have resigned while under investigation "so that they can be named and shamed and face the consequences".
SITA must provide this information by June 30.
Scopa also requested that Sitole submit a report on all current investigations including the Forensic Data Analysts and Unisys contracts by May 31.
The committee has also told SAPS to expedite all investigations involving its officials and to inform it why Brigadier Beauty Phahlane, the wife of the former acting national commissioner, Khomotso Phahlane, has not been suspended for her alleged involvement in corrupt activities.
