Former Head of South Africa’s Secret Service, Mo Shaik, has started to give details around the Gupta red-flags and how the then State Security Minister Siyabonga Cwele ignored the warnings.
Shaik has taken the stand before the State Capture Commission in Parktown, Johannesburg. In 2011, Cwele fired Shaik, together with Gibson Njenje and Jeff Maqethuka, saying the three had been involved in an irregular investigation which amounted to fighting personal battles.
Njenje and Maqethuka are also expected to testify before the commission. Shaik explains how he was appointed to the agency.
“At this meeting at Minister Cwele’s office, the three of Mr. Njenje, Ambassador Maqethuka and myself met. We were in a holding room, this is the first time we had spoken in a long time and we were all “ok why are we here”. Very shortly then we were led into a press conference in which it was announced that Ambassador Maqethuka is the Director-General of the SSA, Mr. Gibson would be the head of the Domestic branch of the SSA and I was appointed as the head of the Foreign Branch of the SSA.”
