The door was officially closed on former ANC MP Cecil Burgess becoming the next Inspector General of Intelligence when the Joint Standing Committee on Intelligence shortlisted ten candidates for the position and left the contentious figure out.
During a morning meeting‚ the committee deliberated on 12 candidate names and left two out. The list of candidates included hopefuls that tried to get the job in 2015‚ when Burgess was still considered as the odds-on favourite to take on the position.
The position has been vacant for more than a year now because the ANC‚ which lacks a two thirds majority on its own‚ wanted to install Burgess‚ who gained notoriety for the way he bulldozed the Secrecy Bill through parliament‚ into the position.
Hopefuls who returned to the shortlist after unsuccessfully vying for the position before included Adv Jayshree Govender‚ Smange Jele and Andile Kilifele.
The last time interviews for the post took place‚ discussions of “national security” were strictly off-limits‚ leaving candidates to sell themselves to Parliament to get the job.
The committee said that of 17 candidates‚ only 12 met the minimum advertised requirements to become the next inspector general of intelligence. The shortlist was originally set to be a list of 12 but was later shortened to a list of ten candidates.
The full list of candidates is: Clinton Paul Davids Prof. Sethlomamaru Isaac Dintwe Adv. Jayashree Govender Mr. Smanga Phillip Jele Mr. Andile Barnabas Kilifele Mr. Mampogoane Petrus Nchabaleng Mr. Victor Euclid Ngidi Mr. Brightboy Nhlakanipho Nkontwana Dr. Nyelisani Clarence Tshiterke Prof. Bruce William Watson.
- TMG Digital/BusinessLIVE
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