Greenpeace Africa said it had withdrawn its Promotion of Access to Information Act (Paia) application to the Minister in the Presidency Responsible for State Security to provide further information on the infiltration and surveillance of civil society organisations confirmed by the declassified Boast Report in July 2022.
This after the organisation said a lengthy affidavit from the State Security Agency (SSA) had put to rest concerns of infiltration.
The report had stated that active monitoring was done on certain civic organisations including Greenpeace Africa, Right2KNow and Right2Protest, among others.
“A team was penetrated and became ‘activists’ for these NGOs.
Through these actions reporting took place on supporter strengths, main actors, ideology, support structures and agendas,” the declassified report stated.
According to Greenpeace Africa it was set to appear before the Western Cape High Court on January 18, 2023, seeking to compel the SSA to grant access to the report, which would reveal the names of the operatives involved in infiltrating civil society organisations, and all records relating to interception and surveillance conducted against civil society organisations.
“The SSA prevented a court appearance by delivering an answering affidavit at the eleventh hour, and stated that such records do not exist and has refused to grant access to the unredacted report, citing section 39(b)(i) of Paia (paras 128-139).
“However, the SSA gave details as to the extent of the surveillance conducted on Greenpeace Africa, and the reasons for identifying the organisation as a potential target,” Greenpeace Africa said.
According to the affidavit by the SSA and the Minister in the Presidency Responsible for State Security: “Its role as a robust advocacy group in the environmental sphere underpinned the decision to monitor it through open-source investigations. The SSA was concerned that GPAF’s robust and sometimes unlawful protest action, which has led to trespass and damage to property in the the past, presented a threat to the security of the Republic.
“The SSA was obliged to monitor GPAF, particularly during the delivery of the 2016 budget speech and 2017 Sona address when the issue of energy security was topical. It is well known that the applicant is opposed to any form of nuclear and coal power, and the state president was expected to make announcements on the nation’s approach to nuclear, coal and gas power.”
Greenpeace Africa's interim programme director, Melita Steele, added: “A transparent, honest, and accountable government would not feel threatened by the actions of a healthy civil society. We will continue to demand more from our government: more accountability, more decisive action, and more transparency."
Meanwhile, Right2Know said it was continuing with its Paia application.
“The nature of the Right to Know Campaign is to exhaust processes, and this is one avenue available to us.
As an organisation we believe that infiltration was invasive, violated our privacy and placed out organisation at risk. When we look at the contents of the Boast report and that information that was released at the Zondo Commission, what needs to determine or establish if the process (infiltration) referred to was legal or illegal.
“Infiltration of any sort is an action of entering or gaining access to in this matter our organisation and/or place surreptitiously, in our view to acquire secret information or cause damage. This infiltration has negatively impacted our work and people’s lives,” said national co-ordinator Verushka Memdutt.
The SSA said it could not comment on the matter at present.
Right2Protest did not respond to requests for comment by deadline on Tuesday.
Cape Times