Jacques Pauw, author of the book The President's Keepers, says he has been told the State Security Agency's (SSA) Principal Agent Network (PAN) was created to get the African National Congress (ANC) back into power in the Western Cape.

Pauw, speaking to News24 investigative journalist and The Republic of Gupta author Pieter-Louis Myburgh in News24's Johannesburg studio, on Tuesday said he had spoken to members of the network.

"They said to me they are convinced this was part of an effort to make the Western Cape ANC again and that there were definite efforts to boost the ANC in the Western Cape," he said.

Claims of political motivation

Pauw said because the agents he spoke to did not have substantial proof of this, he had not written about it.

"There were definite allegations this was politically motivated as well."

SSA spokesperson Brian Dube, in response to a News24 query on the PAN possibly having been created for political reasons, on Tuesday referred to a cease and desist letter which the SSA sent to Pauw and his publisher last week.

Dube said this remained the SSA's stance on the matter. He declined to comment further.

According to Pauw's book, an internal SSA investigation concluded that its director general Arthur Fraser should be charged with treason for his role in the running of the PAN.

'We will kill you'

Pauw on Tuesday also referred to threats he had received following the recent release of his book.

He said some threats had come from "Cape gangsters" - or someone who spoke Cape-style Afrikaans.

"I got two phone calls over the weekend. It was definitely Cape gangsters... they were talking Afrikaans... so it definitely came from those quarters."

He had also received a call from a private number on Monday and on answering was told: "If you continue writing about Jacob Zuma, we will kill you."

Pauw said the PAN had consisted of 72 members.

He said that Fraser had a personal server installed in his home and all PAN reports were sent there before he decided what went into the SSA's mainframe.

Pauw said Fraser had tried to establish a parallel intelligence network.

Retraction demand

On Monday, Fraser's family demanded that Pauw retract his book.

The Fraser family said it was in the process of seeking legal advice.

Pauw has stood by the allegations contained in his book.

He has said he is prepared to seek punitive costs orders against the SSA if it approaches the courts for an interdict against him.

Pauw on Tuesday said his book would not see President Jacob Zuma removed from office.

He said the only body that could see Zuma removed was the ANC's National Executive Committee and Pauw said Zuma employed half of its members.