State Security Minister David Mahlobo briefs the media at the ANC's policy conference.
The ANC believes the threat of regime change is real and that South Africa already displays some of the elements of a “colour revolution”.
Speaking on the proposals adopted on peace and stability, state security minister and national executive committee (NEC) member David Mahlobo said the ANC’s talk of regime change was not a scare tactic because the country already exhibited the four elements of a colour revolution.
According to Wikipedia, participants in colour revolutions use nonviolent resistance, such as demonstrations, in protest against governments seen as corrupt or authoritarian, and to advocate democracy and to create pressure for change. Nongovernmental organisations play a role in organising in the use of creative nonviolent resistance. Other symbols of unity that goes beyond political parties have also been used, such as the rose.
“One, you establish entities that will be used as a vehicle to influence. And we are on record, we have said certain NGOs that play that game,” said Mahlobo.
“Number two, they are actually looking at issues of promoting an ideology. There are certain terminologies that you use. We have seen it in Latin America, we have seen it in other countries. You use issues around ideology of there’s no leadership, no vision, corruption.”
The other two elements involved the creation of alternative and celebrity leaders as well as using government failures to implement a colour revolution.
Speaking on South Africa’s efficiency in detecting threats Mahlobo made a shock revelation when he admitted that his department had known a year in advance that violence would break out in Vuwani over demarcation issues.
“If you have intelligence you can’t actually scream and say you have intelligence. Let me make an example, we knew Vuwani, Malamulele a year ago that it would happen,” Mahlobo said.
He said the information on the planned protests in Vuwani had been handed over to the South African Police Service before the unrest broke out.
Asked whether the Guptas had been discussed as a possible threat amid the allegations of state capture made against them, Mahlobo said the matter had not been discussed.
“We chose to discuss policy, not events or incidents … remember this is a policy conference,” he said.
But he said the decision to set up a judicial commission of inquiry into state capture was welcomed. “We think the matter the NEC has decided on it and we think the decision should be implemented.
“All of us have friends in business,” Mahlobo said. “But do they control how we think and how we do certain things? There’s no one here who doesn’t know a friend in business.”