Whistleblower Alleges SAPS Hacked Ramaphosa's Emails to Influence ANC Conference

• The South African Police Service's crime intelligence (CI) division is being accused of hacking President Cyril Ramaphosa's emails
• The emails were allegedly hacked when Cyril Ramaphosa was serving as deputy president of the country
• Police whistleblower Brigadier Tiyani Lincoln Hlungwani exposed the alarming misuse of state resources to conduct political surveillance

South Africa’s crime intelligence division has been accused of operating as a political weapon, with whistleblower Brigadier Tiyani Lincoln Hlungwani alleging it was used to spy on senior politicians, including the hacking of Cyril Ramaphosa’s private emails ahead of the ANC’s 2017 national conference.

What did Hlungwani say?

In a damning affidavit originally submitted to the Zondo Commission but never heard in public, Hlungwani claims that the SAPS Crime Intelligence (CI) unit was deeply embedded in ANC factional battles and systematically abused state funds and surveillance tools to influence political outcomes.

Hlungwani, the former head of finance and administration in the SAPS Crime Intelligence division’s secret services account, claimed the hacking formed part of a wider pattern of corruption and abuse within the unit.

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What was in the emails?

Ahead of the ANC’s 2017 national conference, emails from Cyril Ramaphosa’s private Gmail accounts were leaked, alleging that he was involved in multiple extramarital affairs with much younger women. At the time, Ramaphosa, then serving as deputy president of both the country and the ANC, was in the midst of a high-stakes campaign to lead the ruling party.

The hacking tool allegedly used, known as Ultra Profiler, was reportedly acquired by SAPS as a replacement for the Ripjar software. Ultra Profiler is said to have the capability to intercept and read private emails and SMS messages.

Hlungwani described how crime intelligence resources were allegedly used to back ANC factions during the party’s 2017 conference. He claimed that funds were disguised as operational costs but were spent on political activities

One of the most serious claims in the affidavit is about a plan to buy a “grabber” device for R45 million. The device can intercept phone calls and track devices. Hlungwani said it was meant to be used at the ANC’s Nasrec conference and that the deal was full of problems and pushed by political interests.

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Well-known minister involved

The purchase was allegedly pushed through under pressure from senior officials, including the then-national police commissioner and minister of police. Hlungwani’s affidavit also points to a well-known former minister, accusing him of interfering in operational matters and pressuring officials to approve questionable deals.

The affidavit suggests the minister’s influence went beyond procurement, extending to senior appointments within Crime Intelligence. Hlungwani alleged that Lt-Gen Peter Jacobs was appointed as head of the division because of his close ties to the minister, despite serious allegations hanging over him.

Brazil hackers threaten to leak President Ramaphosa's info

In another story, Briefly News reported that a Brazil-based hacking crew is threatening to leak the private information of prominent South African politicians.

The group is responsible for hacking one of TransUnion's servers and has given the credit bureau until Friday, 25 March, to pay a ransom. To prove the legitimacy of the hack, the group N4ughtySecTU has already leaked President Cyril Ramaphosa's and Julius Malema's ID numbers on Telegram.

Proofreading by Kelly Lippke, copy editor at Briefly.co.za.

Source: Briefly News