The Democratic Alliance (DA) has formally urged the Electoral Commission (IEC) to investigate allegations that the Secretary General of the African National Congress (ANC), Fikile Mbalula, and his adviser Bongani Mbindwane allegedly colluded with Russian intelligence operatives in 2024 to undermine South Africa’s elections.

According to the DA, leaked documents and investigative reports suggest that Mbalula and Mbindwane held secret meetings with representatives of the Russian Foreign Intelligence Service (SVR) and a Russian firm with links to the SVR, Politology, to execute disinformation campaigns targeting DA leaders, including John Steenhuisen and Helen Zille. The campaigns allegedly involved fabricated events, false documents, and coordinated social media activity designed to weaken the DA’s electoral performance.

The party pointed to legal provisions under a number of laws and regulations, including the Electoral Act, the Electoral Code of Conduct, and the Cybercrimes Act, which prohibit voter manipulation, dissemination of false information, and malicious communications.

Ryan Smith, the DA’s spokesperson on foreign affairs, said: “The DA will not allow South Africa’s fledgling democracy to be captured and held ransom by a dying ANC and its outdated Cold War-era worldview.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.”