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The State Security Agency has sent a cease-and-desist letter to investigative journalist Jacques Pauw and his publisher, demanding they withdraw his new book which has revelations that the agency claims are in violation of the Intelligence Services Act.
Released last week, Pauw’s “explosive” book, The President’s Keepers, reveals how millions of rands of taxpayers’ money flowed into the bank accounts of bogus spies, among other revelations about President Jacob Zuma’s compromised government and “dirty tricks” in South Africa’s law enforcement agencies.
The agency wrote to NB Publishers requesting that the book be withdrawn from bookstores and certain parts of the book be retracted.
“As our client is constitutionally mandated to ensure the security of the state and protect the identity of its members and agents, it has a duty to act in instances where such security is breached either by disclosure of its legitimate operational methods, classified documents, as well as the identity of its agents,” the letter states.
The SSA is threatening to acquire an interdict preventing NB Publishers from printing, distributing or promoting the book any more.
The agency said it would “institute criminal charges against [Pauw] and any other individual concerned” should they refuse to recall the book.
In a statement released this afternoon, NB Publishers said they stood behind Pauw as well as the book and that their attorney would respond to the letter.
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