Minister approved operation linked to McBride suspension

The mystery of Robert McBride's suspension from the State Security Agency (SSA) is deepening as information emerges that Minister Ayanda Dlodlo had personally approved the ‘doomed’ intelligence operation, which led to the spy boss' suspension, says a News24 report. Dlodlo suspended McBride, head of a foreign branch of the SSA, this month. The agency did not give reasons for McBride's suspension. However, a week before his suspension, City Press had reported that Mozambican police had arrested four South African spies who were part of an intelligence operation to rescue South Africans trapped in Cabo Delgado. Mozambican police allegedly seized the spies' equipment and passports, accusing them of conducting an illegal espionage operation. The conflict in Cabo Delgado, which erupted four years ago, peaked in March, prompting the SSA to initiate an operation to rescue South Africans trapped in the region and gather intelligence. McBride approved the espionage operation without Dlodlo's and the Mozambican Government's knowledge, City Press reported. However, News24 says an SSA memorandum titled ‘operational instruction’, dated 27 March, and bearing Dlodlo's signature, authorising the Cabo Delgado operation, instructs officials ‘to deploy necessary capacity to offer relief (to South Africans in Cabo Delgado) for a life and death situation’. Further, the memorandum instructed the domestic branch of SSA in Limpopo, Mpumalanga, Eastern Cape, Gauteng and the Western Cape to be placed on high alert, and ‘start monitoring the activities and movements of suspected and confirmed sympathisers of Isis and Al Shabaab’ and other terrorist organisations. SSA spokesperson Mava Scott said: ’We can confirm the suspension of Mr McBride, but we are not in a position to discuss further details in line with the confidentiality requirement between employer and employee relations.’