By Samkelo Mtshali 
Jul 16, 2021
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State Security Minister Ayanda Dlodlo has denied that current intelligence members were involved in the orchestration of the civil unrest that has left parts of Gauteng and KwaZulu-Natal gutted.
Dlodlo was part of an inter-ministerial team accompanying President Cyril Ramaphosa to KwaZulu-Natal to assess the trail of destruction left by the violence and looting.
During an interview in Merebank outside Durban, Dlodlo said that it was her view that the civil unrest had been planned.
She said there was no evidence to suggest that currently serving members of the State Security Agency were part of orchestrating the unrest.
“I reject with the contempt which it deserves any assertion that currently serving members of SSA are part of this.
“We have got men and women that work for this country to ensure that our citizens sleep at night knowing very well that we will be gathering information to hand over to law enforcement agencies and ensure that our people are protected.
“Sometimes criminals will hijack legitimate issues that are being raised by people but, sometimes it is also the people who also instigate these issues that we see today,” Dlodlo said.
She said it would be reckless to suggest that the orgy of violence and looting which has left some 117 people dead, was part of an attempted coup.
“I cannot make a reckless statement to reduce this to a coup or a non-coup, all that I have to do is collect information collate it, and ensure that the information is properly analysed. I’m not going to be taken by emotions because emotions in the intelligence world do not have a place.
“We will deal with issues based on the information that we have and then be able to give a clear analysis of what is happening, but I cannot say that this is a coup. It would be very disingenuous and irresponsible of me to make such pronouncements when I really do not have information at hand that points to evidence in that regard,” Dlodlo said.