Thieves broke into a Pretoria complex housing intelligence minister Siyabonga Cwele’s offices and made off with laptops containing sensitive information the Sunday Times reports. The burglary – a serious security breach that has left intelligence chiefs red-faced – occurred three weeks ago when thieves broke into the fortified Bogare building in Menlyn, which houses the State Security Agency’s top offices, including that of the minister.
The incident follows a fire, also around the same period, that gutted the SA Revenue Service offices in Durban which also houses the State Security Agency on its top floor – where the fire started.
Insiders say the fire was no accident and that the target was the provincial head office of the State Security Agency. Intelligence spokesman Brian Dube confirmed the break-in in Pretoria. He said the target was the Office on Conditions on Service but refused to disclose what was taken or what the office is responsible for. Dube said: “The agency and the police are investigating and we wouldn’t like to speculate.”
