Flaws and security lapses within South Africa’s government and intelligence services have left secrets exposed to foreign spies at every level, according to leaked documents released by Al-Jazeera.<\/p>\n
The documents claimed that a secret security assessment by South African intelligence said foreign espionage was booming, with South Africa doing a “poor job” of protecting itself.<\/p>\n
Over 140 foreign spies are estimated to be operating in South Africa, gaining access to government departments, ministries and “even the presidency”, according to the report.<\/p>\n
They are suspected of breaking into nuclear power plants, stealing military blueprints and hacking into computers.<\/p>\n
The report said civil servants failed to observe basic procedures, leaving classified information unlocked, and new recruits were not adequately vetted.<\/p>\n
The secret assessment of security vulnerabilities, written in October 2009 by South African intelligence, concluded information security was at “serious risk” and would remain so in the “long-term”.<\/p>\n
Al-Jazeera reported that another spy cable revealed that South Africa had “experienced the theft of Rooivalk Helicopter Blueprints by a known foreign intelligence service”.<\/p>\n
The document also said that in the plan to expand South Africa’s nuclear energy capacity France and America had been “working frantically” to influence the bidding process.<\/p>\n
South African spies have “not been able to neutralise their activities” because of the “sophistication of their covert operations and lack of counter-espionage capacity” it said<\/p>\n
CIA asked South Africa to help it spy<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n