Boss “set Up Fake Robbery To Frame Anti-apartheid... (Press, 2 July 1979)

In a surprising revelation, South African journalist Gordon Winter has claimed that the country's Bureau for State Security, known as Boss, orchestrated attempts to tarnish the reputations of prominent political figures, including British politician Jeremy Thorpe and anti-apartheid activist Peter Hain. In an interview broadcasted on London Weekend Television, Winter, who asserts he was a high-level spy for Boss for 16 years, detailed his allegations. His claims were widely reported in the "Rand Daily Mail," a liberal newspaper known for exposing corruption within South Africa's defunct Information Department. Winter explained that he was recruited by General Hendrik van den Bergh, the former head of Boss, in 1963, and that General Koos Kemp served as his handler. Winter's allegations include Boss's involvement in the controversy surrounding Jeremy Thorpe, who was recently acquitted of conspiracy to murder Norman Scott, a man who claimed to have had a homosexual relationship with Thorpe. Winter alleged that Boss had tried to influence the 1974 British elections by exploiting the allegations against Thorpe to favour the Conservative Party, which was preferred by the South African government. Additionally, Winter contended that Boss staged the robbery of a London bank in 1975 and that Hain was wrongfully prosecuted for the crime. He claimed that a "double" of Hain was used to conduct the robbery. Furthermore, Winter implicated Boss in the murder of Keith Wallace, a journalist who had moved from Johannesburg to London, on the grounds that Wallace had gathered too much sensitive information. Throughout the interview, Winter, who has reportedly fled South Africa with his family due to fears for their safety following the torture of a black nanny's daughter, expressed remorse over his previous actions. He claimed to have retained various documents and audio recordings related to Boss operations, and he alleged that the agency was actively seeking him out. In response to Winter's explosive claims, General van den Bergh dismissed his statements as "absolute nonsense," acknowledging only that Winter was a security-police informer but not the high-level operative he claimed to be. He categorically rejected the assertions regarding the involvement of South Africa in the Thorpe case, the bank robbery, and the murder of Wallace. These startling allegations have stirred significant controversy, hinting at deeper connections between South African intelligence operations and foreign political matters during a tumultuous period marked by apartheid and political strife. Winter's interview and the subsequent backlash could have lasting implications for all parties involved, revealing not only the extent of Boss's clandestine activities but also the intricate interplay between politics and espionage during the era.

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