Democratic Alliance Member of Parliament Nicholas Myburgh has asked Minister in the Presidency for Intelligence, Khumbudzo Ntshavheni, whether she has found the National Intelligence Coordinating Committee (NICOC) effective in fulfilling its mandate.
The NICOC is responsible for the coordination of intelligence and counterintelligence between the various intelligence entities in South Africa. According to Ntshavheni, several factors have inhibited NICOC from functioning effectively, but the “major inhibiting factor,” says the Minister, “was the discretionary approach adopted by national intelligence structures regarding the obligation to supply intelligence to NICOC.”
The Minister revealed further that this had been a challenge since 1994, one which has been highlighted by several commissions of inquiry “as a key contributing negative factor in intelligence coordination.”
However, the Minister noted that after consultation with the Cabinet and Joint Standing Committee on Intelligence (JSCI), she issued the Regulations on Intelligence Coordination in terms of the National Strategic Intelligence Act, 1994 (Act 39 of 1994) as amended.
“These Regulations compel National Intelligence Structures to honour their legislative mandates of supplying intelligence to the NICOC. They also outline appropriate interventions to be undertaken when National Intelligence Structures default on their legislated mandates. This intervention is appropriately geared to ensure improvement in coordination of intelligence in line with the legislative injunction,” said the Minister.
Additionally, Ntshavheni reiterated that despite their being a legislative requirement, “there has never been any regulations on Intelligence Coordination.” The regulations were initially submitted to the JSCI of the 6th Parliament and have since finally been issued.
When asked for comment, Myburgh noted, “it is of great concern to all of us that NICOC has been a shadow of its former self, and that intelligence co-ordination is not nearly at acceptable levels. We urgently need to ensure that the safety, security and prosperity of all South Africans is guaranteed through the proper and professional co-ordination of intelligence products.”