Boksburg post office robbery

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South African State Security Agency robbery raises questions

A robbery at the offices of the State Security Agency, involving tens of millions of rand has raised some serious questions about the organisation which is supposed to keep South Africa safe.

Boksburg post office robbery

Image via: Pexels

Business Day reports that the robbery took place in the eary hours of 26 December. It has not been able to say why its Pretoria headquarters were so insecure that a safe with cash could be broken into or why this cash was kept on the premises.

Brian Dube, head of communications at the agency, said the stolen amount was “undisclosed”, however, the Sunday Times reports that it was R50 million, which was the security agency’s slush fund.

Hawks spokesman Hangwani Mulaudzi, said: “We are investigating a theft case as per the incident. Investigations are sensitive and we are not in a position to share information until the national head is fully briefed on what transpired.”

Chairman of the Institute for Security Studies’ board of trustees Jakkie Cilliers said the incident was “extremely disconcerting and alarming”.

He said he believed that the robbery could have been an inside job. “If they (agents) are stealing from themselves, what else are they doing?”