Cape Town – State Security Minister David Mahlobo has warned of the destabilisation of the country by opposition parties working with foreign governments.
Mahlobo said on Tuesday that the government was watching this closely and warned that destabilisation would not be allowed. He said foreign agencies would not be allowed to effect a regime change agenda on a democratically-elected government.
He said they were aware of some of the NGOs that are used as cover for the regime change agenda.
“A number of governments are using underhand tactics in pursuit of their narrow national interest and in the process destabilising a number of countries, like what happened in Libya, Brazil and now in Syria. During the past year, they continued their efforts, in close collaboration with negative domestic forces, to undermine our democratic and constitutional advances,” said Mahlobo.
However, Mahlobo would not name the foreign governments and opposition parties working together to topple the state, nor the NGOs allegedly implicated in this.
He said they used a number of players to pursue their agenda, including funding opposition parties.
There must be no regime change agenda because the government was elected in a democratic process, and these attempts stymie the democratic project of nation building and development, he said.
President Jacob Zuma has been under increasing pressure from within his party, the alliance, civil society and opposition parties to step down.
Several marches have been held across the country during the past three months calling for Zuma’s resignation.
However, opposition parties in Parliament hit back at Mahlobo, during the debate on his budget vote, saying the government has itself to blame.
Freedom Front Plus leader Pieter Groenewald accused Zuma of taking over state security by allegedly using an intelligence report to fire former minister of finance Pravin Gordhan.
Hendrik Schmidt of the DA said the matter of the intelligence report was now the subject of a court process.
“Following legal action by the DA, why he (Zuma) fired Pravin Gordhan and Mcebisi Jonas, the truth will soon be revealed,” said Schmidt.