Chairperson, on the hon Sinclair's question on whether a certain person, whose details were furnished, had access to documents of my department, as alleged in the media reports, and if not, what the position is in this regard; if so, what the relevant details are, the reply is as follows: The said person, Mr Julius Malema, did not have access to documents of my department's State Security Agency. It is not our policy or practice to give information to unauthorised persons.
On the second question, whether I will repudiate the statements, and if not, what the position is in this regard; if so, what the relevant details are, the reply is as follows: Mr Malema did not at any stage allege to have obtained documents from the State Security Agency, as stated by the hon member in the question. He, instead, referred to a document that he got from what he called "intelligence officers". We have issued a media statement in this regard. In addition, the State Security Agency will apply its counterintelligence mandate in view of the seriousness of the allegation. I thank you.
Thank you very much, Minister. I asked if there was a follow-up question.
Yes, thank you for the opportunity. I was just thinking, Deputy Chair.
Oh, okay.
Deputy Chairperson, would the hon Minister then agree that the person referred to, Mr Julius Malema, misled the nation with regard to the allegations that he made in the press?
Deputy Chairperson, as I have said, I would not agree with that. I will not agree with that statement, because, as I have said, at no stage did Mr Julius Malema ever say that he got any secret document or classified document from the State Security Agency police structures. Instead, Deputy Chairperson, it was the political parties who put the allegation in the newspaper. Thank you.
I will say it again: Thanks very much, Ministers, for making yourselves available. We hope you will do the same next time. Thank you.
See also QUESTIONS AND REPLIES.