The arrest and charging of Zuma’s ‘superspy' Thulani Dlomo is a major State Capture breakthrough

Thulani “Silence” Dlomo, former Deputy Director of Counterintelligence in the State Security Agency (SSA), and Patrick Mshotholo, project manager in Directorate Special Operations (DSO), have been arrested and charged with theft, fraud, forgery and uttering involving about R12-million.

Dlomo – a former ambassador to Japan – and Mshotholo appeared in the Specialised Commercial Crimes Court in Pretoria on 1 December 2025 after they were arrested by the Investigating Directorate Against Corruption (Idac). The matter was postponed to 26 January 2026. The accused were granted R20,000 bail.

Read more: Former special ops boss Thulani ‘Silence’ Dlomo dismissed by State Security Agency

Superspy

The “superspy” was recalled by President Cyril Ramaphosa after damning findings in the High-Level Panel Review into the intelligence services, released in December 2018.

Dlomo operated variously under the supervision of former SSA DG Arthur Fraser, who is still to face charges, and former minister of state security David Mahlobo, currently an ANC deputy minister.

The Zondo Commission’s final report found that Mahlobo “not only involved himself in operations, but also directed them”.

These projects included Project Wave, an attempt to infiltrate the media, as well as other covert operations to spy on NGOs, the judiciary and students, and were described as “projects approved by the Minister”.

Read more: SSA rogue actors constitute clear and present danger to our democracy

Factionalisation of intelligence

The Zondo Commission heard that Project Veza, an investigation into the SSA’s operations from 2012 to 2018, found that various projects initiated by Dlomo and the Special Operations Unit “were established in breach of the SSA’s policy and regulatory prescripts”.

These included illegal surveillance and the unaccounted squandering of about R1.5-billion of public funds.

This allegedly went towards the purchase and leasing of properties (worth R48-million), the purchase of some 293 cars for 72 Principal Agent Network agents and stored in warehouses (at the cost of R24-million) and the employment of a network of undercover agents – none of whom had been vetted.

A key finding of the High Level Panel Review was that there had been a serious politicisation and factionalisation of the intelligence community based on tensions in the ANC, “resulting in an almost complete disregard for the Constitution, legislation, policy and other prescripts”.

And Dlomo was there through it all.

This clandestine behaviour remained unchecked as the position of the Inspector General of Intelligence remained vacant after the death of IG Faith Radebe in 2018.

Weaponisation

In 2014, Mahlobo requested Radebe to conduct an investigation into the intelligence services after fake reports about a SARS “rogue unit” first appeared in the Sunday Times. These were later withdrawn and the paper apologised.

Radebe released two classified reports, one of which was later made public by impeached former Public Protector Busiswe Mkhwebane in the years-long hounding of the late Pravin Gordhan as well as senior SARS officials. The report was shamelessly weaponised by Mkhwebane as well as EFF leader Julius Malema.

Read more: Busisiwe Mkhwebane’s big fat fishing expedition for Radebe Report

Zondo found that apart from the normal vetting system of the SSA, Dlomo had established “an unlawful parallel vetting system” which created “a potential danger to national security”.

Nasrec and beyond

A witness at the Zondo Commission who testified anonymously (Dorothy) said under oath that she was a member of the SSA and that she had been used “to assist at the ANC Nasrec Conference”.

She had withdrawn a subsistence allowance for her services, and Zondo said her employment pointed to the “intelligence services rendering financial and other assistance to the ruling party in connection with its Nasrec conference”.

Read more: The walls have ears: The backpackers, the Police Minister, his adviser and the R45m Nasrec grabber swindle

All the way back to Mdluli and Sibiya

When old NIA (before Zuma collapsed the services into the SSA) comrades Mo Shaik, Gibson Njenje and Jeff Maqetuka became concerned about the Gupta brothers’ growing empire, they went to then president Zuma, to alert him, of course.

They thought he would be concerned.

However, Zuma swiftly got rid of the intelligence trio and fired the head of GCIS, Themba Maseko, for refusing to kowtow to the Gutpas.

Zuma had phoned Maseko at the time and had advised in isiZulu: “My brother, there are these Gupta guys who need to meet you and who need your help. Please help them and see what you can do to help them.”

Maseko, when he refused, was fired, only to be replaced by Mzwanele Manyi, the man who would later “buy” the Gupta media empire ANN7. Manyi is now a member of Parliament with Jacob Zuma’s uMkhonto Wesizwe (MK) party.

Enter Richard Mdluli, then head of SAPS Crime Intelligence.

Zuma chose his word above those of his intelligence chiefs in the end, and from that day forth, the political project rolled out.

Remember the old Crime Intelligence report about Shadrack Sibiya (ring ding ding), Robert McBride and Paul O’Sullivan plotting to overthrow the state? That was Mdluli.

The “Zimbabwe Rendition” – Mdluli.

The firing of Gauteng Hawks head, Anwar Dramat – Mdluli.

Empty vessels?

In July 2021, that month of fire and flame after Jacob Zuma was driven to jail in Estcourt and Duduzile Zuma-Sambudla’s eyes danced while the flames flared on her X feed, Dlomo published a book, The Encounter.

He had time on his hands and in the silence, he had “heard the voice of God”, he said in a YouTube interview.

Read more: Confessions of a dangerous mind, a ‘divinely inspired’ Zuma spy, Thulani Dlomo

Dlomo said he wrote the book because “I refuse to bury my talent”. He spoke with urgency about “the crisis we are facing which points to the end of days”.

“It is my desire to get to grips with and understand and not undermine or underestimate the author, but to understand the message.”

“When I leave this earth to meet with my creator, I must be empty… there must be nothing in me. I must give everything.”

We look forward to seeing him in the dock in the new year. DM