Serious allegations about Russian interference in South Africa’s elections

The Democratic Alliance (DA) said the ANC partnered with the Russian Foreign Intelligence Service (SVR) to influence the 2024 National Elections.

The DA released a statement linking ANC Secretary General Fikile Mbalula and his advisor, Bongani Mbindwane, to this partnership.

Ryan Smith, the DA’s Spokesperson on International Relations and Cooperation, provided details about the issue.

He cited reports detailing several allegations of secret meetings between the ANC and individuals representing the Russian Foreign Intelligence Service.

These meetings, held in 2024, were allegedly to develop and execute targeted disinformation operations and smear campaigns.

“These campaigns were deliberate electoral interference against South African opposition parties,” Smith said.

He said leaked documents from the SVR indicate there was coordinated collusion between the Russian Federation and the ANC.

This collusion was behind a series of fraudulent documents, fabricated campaigns, and fictitious events supposedly stemming from former DA leader, John Steenhuisen.

The campaign driving a fraudulent narrative also extended to the DA’s former Federal Council Chairperson, Helen Zille.

These campaigns were widely circulated on social media through a coordinated cyber disinformation campaign.

“Investigative reports from local and international journalists have revealed that a Russian company named ‘Politology’ was involved,” he said.

Politology, led by the SVR, allegedly colluded with Mbalula and Mbindwane to mislead the South African public.

“It served to severely undermine the freedom and fairness of South African democracy, in an attack on the nation’s sovereignty by a foreign power,” he said.

The reports showed that disinformation operations and smear campaigns were launched to undermine the DA’s support in the 2024 Elections.

He said that Section 87 of the Electoral Act 73 of 1998 prohibits undue influence on voters and spreading false information to influence the outcome of an election.

The DA wrote to the Chief Electoral Officer of the Independent Electoral Commission (IEC), Sy Mamabolo, to request a formal investigation into the issue.