It should be possible to prevent the intelligence community’s sources and methods from being revealed before the Hefer commission, commission secretary John Bacon said on Monday.
”We are not interested in their sources or methods,” Bacon said.
”We are only asking them whether [National Director of Public Prosecutions Bulelani Ngcuka] was an agent for the apartheid government. Surely it should be possible to find a way to protect their sources and methods.”
Security agencies reportedly announced earlier that they could not cooperate with the commission due to the sensitive nature of intelligence files it had requested.
Legislation prevents the intelligence community from revealing its methods and sources, it was reported.
The Hefer commission was set up by President Thabo Mbeki to probe allegations that Ngcuka was an apartheid spy.
Its secretariat is scheduled to meet later on Monday with lawyers representing the South African Police Services and National Intelligence.
Bacon said the commission would be represented by its investigators, deputy secretary Solly Ngwenya and evidence leader Kessie Naidu.
Procedures for the two organisations’ participation in the public hearings before the commission would be the main subject of discussion. Witnesses to be called — former and current officers — would also be determined.
Military Intelligence had not yet reacted to the commission’s request for its cooperation, Bacon said. He added that it was still not certain which witnesses would be called when the commission resumed its hearings in Bloemfontein on Wednesday.
They were expected to be from the intelligence community.
The Saturday Star reported that former apartheid spy Craig Williamson had been informally approached by the commission to contribute to its investigation. — Sapa