An obscure group of security personnel have been embedded in Prasa's security division, giving them influence over the agency's huge security budget. | amaBhungane Fin24
In any event, the case went nowhere.
Even more extraordinary was that CR17, presumably through Rhoode, contracted IPTS to provide security to the campaign. The leaked CR17 bank statements show IPTS was paid around R10 million between May 2017 and March 2018. Yet, none of this appeared to have caused even a ripple in the CR17 campaign at the time – and later on Prasa was similarly unmoved by this history.Papadopulo's re-emergence at Prasa prompted amaBhungane to look closely at the organisation's security team.
The union wanted to know why internal members of the security division were overlooked for these high level positions. In response to a request for comment, the minister's spokesperson Lawrence Venkile told amaBhungane to direct questions about"the employment of persons and procurement matters" to Prasa.
By that December, Fredericks was already being included in emails and the new security plan was already slated to include the portentously named People's Responsibility to Protect Project . The NPA declined to prosecute criminally, but recently told amaBhungane that Joubert had been found guilty of gross dishonesty in a disciplinary hearing and was scheduled to be sanctioned.
The emergency process was initiated two days after the unrest broke out , when Prasa allegedly received"intelligence and information" that its infrastructure would be under attack – according to a memo which sets out the rationale and the process that was followed. Matthews, the chief executive, in turn signed to approve the memo and addendum on 28 August and 9 September respectively – but by October 2021, the contracts had yet to be fully paid and the Red Ants issued a letter of demand to Prasa.
The paper suggested Fosu could be next in line, as Mbalula and the board had received briefs that the CFO was hampering Prasa's operations because she failed to pay invoices on time. The report did not go into who was responsible, nor did it address the cost of the contract and if Prasa received value for money.
He went on:"Please make sure… that these instructions are understood as I am currently investigating." AmaBhungane has seen evidence that Matthews was being pressed to pay the emergency security contracts and to act against Fosu, which he appeared reluctant to do. Prasa said that when head-hunting for"critical scarce skills" there was no need to advertise positions.
Asked if Fredericks' involvement in redesigning the security plan while not formally employed, with little to no knowledge of the operating and security environment did not pose a major security risk, Prasa said that he worked with the previous head of security, Rakau, and"helped identify gaps and shortcoming in our systems".
Rakau said, after Fredericks stopped reporting to work, he wrote to the human resources department to have his salary frozen. The recording ends with Fredericks saying:"He is arrogant to send you, I know it's got nothing to do with you, I was offered this post and I didn't want it. That's what happened."
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