Arthur Fraser
Arthur Fraser is a former South African intelligence official and close political ally of former President Jacob Zuma. He served as Director-General of the State Security Agency (SSA) from 2016 to 2018, and later as National Commissioner of Correctional Services. He is known in investigative journalism as the “spy who saved Zuma” for his alleged role in leaking the so-called “Spy Tapes” — recorded phone conversations from the National Intelligence Agency involving the Scorpions’ leadership — which were used to successfully argue that Zuma’s corruption prosecution had been politically motivated, resulting in the charges being dropped on the eve of the 2009 elections.
At the Zondo Commission, Fraser was heavily implicated through testimony from various witnesses. He allegedly ran the Principal Agent Network (PAN), an unconstitutional parallel intelligence programme that reportedly spent approximately R1.5 billion of taxpayer funds between 2007 and 2010. The Zondo Commission reportedly found that he should not be employed anywhere in the state given his conduct. Despite this, he was appointed as National Commissioner of Correctional Services.
In his final weeks as National Commissioner of Correctional Services, Fraser made the highly controversial decision on 5 September 2021 to grant Jacob Zuma medical parole, overriding the Medical Parole Advisory Board’s recommendation. Zuma had served less than two months of a 15-month contempt of court sentence. The Supreme Court of Appeal later ruled this decision unconstitutional and unlawful. Forensic investigator Paul O’Sullivan subsequently filed criminal charges against Fraser for defeating the ends of justice.
On 1 June 2022, Fraser filed a criminal complaint at the Rosebank Police Station against President Cyril Ramaphosa, alleging that Ramaphosa had concealed a US$4 million theft at his Phala Phala Wildlife game farm, organised the kidnapping and interrogation of suspects, and paid off participants to buy their silence — amounting to money laundering and defeating the ends of justice. Ramaphosa’s office disputed both the amount involved and the characterisation of events.
Connections
- Jacob Zuma — long-standing ally; instrumental in Spy Tapes affair (2009) and granted Zuma medical parole (2021)
- State Security Agency (SSA) — Director-General 2016–2018; allegedly ran PAN parallel intelligence programme
- Cyril Ramaphosa — filed criminal complaint against Ramaphosa June 1, 2022 (Phala Phala)
- Phala Phala Wildlife — farm theft at the centre of his criminal complaint against Ramaphosa
- Zondo Commission — heavily implicated in testimony; characterised as unfit for state employment
- Medical Parole Advisory Board — overrode board’s recommendation to grant Zuma parole (2021)
- Paul O’Sullivan — forensic investigator who laid criminal charges against Fraser over Zuma parole (2022)