Statement by Ryan Smith MP – DA Spokesperson on International Relations and Cooperation:
The Democratic Alliance (DA) today wrote to the Chief Electoral Officer of the Independent Electoral Commission (IEC), Sy Mamabolo, to request a formal investigation into Secretary General of the African National Congress (ANC), MrFikile Mbalula, and his advisor, Bongani Mbindwane, following reports detailing several allegations of secret meetings held with entities and individuals representing the Russian Foreign Intelligence Service (SVR) in Johannesburg in 2024 to develop and execute targeted disinformation operations, smear campaigns, and deliberate electoral interference against South African opposition parties.
Leaked documents from the SVR indicate that coordinated collusion between the Russian Federation and the ANC was behind a series of fraudulent documents, fabricated campaigns, and fictitious events supposedly stemming from and relating to then Democratic Alliance (DA) Federal Leader, John Steenhuisen, and Federal Council Chairperson, Helen Zille, which were circulated widely on social media by means of a coordinated cyber disinformation campaign.
Various investigative reports from both local and international journalists have revealed that a Russian company by the name of ‘Politology’, which is led by the SVR, allegedly colluded with Mr Mbalula and Mr Mbindwane to mislead the South African public and severely undermine the freedom and fairness of South African democracy, in what can only be referred to as an attack on the nation’s sovereignty by a foreign power aided and abetted by domestic allies within the ANC.
All of these reports indicate that the disinformation operations, smear campaigns, and deliberate electoral interference were launched specifically to suppress the support and performance of the DA in the 2024 National and Provincial Elections, some dating back as far as 2019.
Section 87 of Electoral Act 73 of 1998 prohibits undue influence on voters, the spreading of false information intended to influence the outcome of an election, and any conduct that undermines free and fair elections.
The Electoral Code of Conduct enclosed in the Act also states that parties and/or candidates may not publish false or defamatory allegations in connection with an election, and prohibits the misrepresentation of parties, candidates, or their symbols.
In addition, Section 96 of the Electoral Code of Conduct makes breaches of the Electoral Act, or the Code of Conduct, enforceable by law and allows complaints to escalate to the Electoral Court if necessary.
Furthermore, section 16 of the Cybercrimes Act 19 of 2020 also deals with malicious communications, especially the distribution of false data messages intended to cause harm, including unlawful interference with data or systems.
On 04 March 2026 in parliament, the Ministry of International Relations and Cooperation (DIRCO), publicly refused todémarche the ambassador of the Russian Federation to the Republic of South Africa in light of these damning allegations of electoral interference in our country’s democracy, openly denying any wrongdoing on the part of the Russian Embassy and dismissing the claims as farcical.
It is clear that there exists a conflict of interest between individuals serving as Ministers and tasked with protecting the integrity of our democratic architecture as per their oath of office, and ANC members required to protect the financial interests, political ambitions, and existential stability of their organisation.
In the absence of any executive will to deal with this matter, it is now incumbent on the IEC and/or other Chapter 9 institutions to uphold the Constitution of the Republic and urgently act to shield our democracy from the ANC and its nefarious international allies.
The DA will not allow South Africa’s fledgling democracy to be captured and held ransom by a dying ANC and its outdated Cold War-era worldview.
The free people of the Republic of South Africa have nothing in common with a Russian dictatorship.
We call on South Africa’s institutions and democratic architecture to investigate Mr Mbalula and Mr Mbindwane, and mete out any necessary sanction accordingly.
The ANC may have captured the state with the help of the Guptas, but we will not let them capture our democracy with Putin’s help.
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