Stefaans Brmmer
Staff in the Gauteng premier’s office were to attend a compulsory workshop on Friday to discuss the prevention of leaks of government information. A copy of the “invitation” was leaked to the Mail & Guardian.
The “confidentiality workshop” – addressed by National Intelligence Agency staff – was convened amid growing acrimony between Gauteng Premier Mathole Motshekga and acting provincial director general Teddy Pekane on the one hand, and Democratic Party Gauteng leader Peter Leon on the other.
It also coincided with a police investigation into charges that the DP is in possession of “stolen” government documents.
Motshekga interrupted a debate in the provincial legislature a fortnight ago to announce Pekane was bringing criminal charges against the DP. This followed the party’s allegations of chaotic management and nepotism against Motshekga, based on internal documents obtained from the premier’s office. Leon distributed copies of the documents to the media.
Johannesburg police confirmed they were taking the charges seriously, saying a detective inspector was taking statements in the premier’s office.
Motshekga’s representative, Makhosini Nkosi, speaking on behalf of Pekane, said about the workshop: “What we are going to have in the light of the leakages or theft of government documents [is that] staff are going to be invited to a seminar where the issue will be discussed.” He said it was Pekane’s initiative, not the premier’s.
Leon commented: “It seems most improbable to me that Pekane would … engage in such an exercise without the premier agreeing to it.”
He said Motshekga seemed “to be acting more like PW Botha in the worst days of the apartheid administration, which was characterised by obsessive secrecy and, quite frankly, paranoia”.
Leon said attempts to plug the leaking of government documents flew in the face of accountable government and the Open Democracy Bill, and he wanted to have it debated in the provincial legislature.
The workshop “invitation”, addressed by provincial human resources chief Seadimo Chaba to all staff in the premier’s office, said: “As you are aware, there has been a problem with the release of government secrets to people who work outside government. This has necessitated the conducting of a workshop on confidentiality, which will be run for [the provincial Department of] Corporate Services …
“It is compulsory that you attend this workshop. Should you have any problem about attending the workshop, please submit a written motivation to the acting director general.”
Hellmuth Schlenther, National Intelligence Agency representative, said the agency has “a counter- espionage mandate”. Since early last year the umbrella national intelligence co- ordinating committee had been briefing government bodies on standards for safeguarding government information. “From our point of view, any government client can request a briefing.”