In August, TimesLIVE reported that parliament’s joint standing committee on intelligence (JSCI) nominated Imtiaz Fazel for the position of inspector-general of intelligence. If successful, he will fill a vacancy left by Dr Setlhomamaru Dintwe, whose five-year term ended in March.
The JSCI initially nominated anti-apartheid struggle stalwart Rev Frank Chikane for the position but he failed to garner the support of two-thirds of the National Assembly MPs, a constitutional requirement.
Ramaphosa was forced to overhaul the leadership in the agency after ministers in the security cluster dropped the ball by failing to detect the acts that led to the July 2021 civil unrest in KwaZulu-Natal and Gauteng.
He appointed his most trusted political ally Mondli Gungubele to manage the SSA and Zizi Kodwa as his deputy.
In April, Ramaphosa told the South African Human Rights Commission investigating the July 2021 unrest that the “government was poorly prepared” for the events that unfolded that day. To ensure that similar unrest never happens again, he said, work to strengthen the capacity of the justice, crime prevention and security (JCPS) cluster was ongoing.
He confirmed at the time that the process of filling vacancies in the State Security Agency was also happening.
“We will be promulgating regulations that will require the intelligence structures to provide intelligence to the National Intelligence Co-ordination Committee (NICOC), so that intelligence is shared and used, properly and timeously, by relevant structures,” he said.
He said the council would meet every two months.
TimesLIVE
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Work to stabilise State Security Agency is ongoing, says presidency
Image: GCIS
President Cyril Ramaphosa is expected to appoint an inspector-general for intelligence soon, his office says.
“Paperwork reached the presidency early this week so it will be processed as speedily as possible and an appropriate announcement [on the appointment] will be made,” said presidency spokesperson Vincent Magwenya.
Speaking to journalists during his weekly briefing at the Union Buildings, Magwenya said much had been done to turn around the State Security Agency (SSA).
“There is new leadership that has been appointed and has been working to turn around SSA. The new bill is almost ready for submission to parliament and the National Security Council meets regularly.”
Magwenya said the national security strategy that has been adopted by the National Security Council will soon be published for public consultation.
He said more work was going to be done as per the president’s response to the state capture commission report on Sunday.
MPs blame SSA for delay in naming new SABC board
In August, TimesLIVE reported that parliament’s joint standing committee on intelligence (JSCI) nominated Imtiaz Fazel for the position of inspector-general of intelligence. If successful, he will fill a vacancy left by Dr Setlhomamaru Dintwe, whose five-year term ended in March.
The JSCI initially nominated anti-apartheid struggle stalwart Rev Frank Chikane for the position but he failed to garner the support of two-thirds of the National Assembly MPs, a constitutional requirement.
Ramaphosa was forced to overhaul the leadership in the agency after ministers in the security cluster dropped the ball by failing to detect the acts that led to the July 2021 civil unrest in KwaZulu-Natal and Gauteng.
He appointed his most trusted political ally Mondli Gungubele to manage the SSA and Zizi Kodwa as his deputy.
In April, Ramaphosa told the South African Human Rights Commission investigating the July 2021 unrest that the “government was poorly prepared” for the events that unfolded that day. To ensure that similar unrest never happens again, he said, work to strengthen the capacity of the justice, crime prevention and security (JCPS) cluster was ongoing.
He confirmed at the time that the process of filling vacancies in the State Security Agency was also happening.
“We will be promulgating regulations that will require the intelligence structures to provide intelligence to the National Intelligence Co-ordination Committee (NICOC), so that intelligence is shared and used, properly and timeously, by relevant structures,” he said.
He said the council would meet every two months.
TimesLIVE
Support independent journalism by subscribing to the Sunday Times. Just R20 for the first month.
READ MORE:
Progress made in reversing effects of state capture at 'targeted, weakened' state institutions: Ramaphosa
One year on: Justice, crime prevention and security cluster to give progress report on July 2021 unrest
Inside Ramaphosa's security crisis: Why SA did not predict the threat
Cyril Ramaphosa considering 'cabinet reconfiguration'
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