The NSS is intended to guide the government’s overall approach to national security, while the NIE assesses the country’s threat landscape and identifies priority risks. The NSS is particularly important given the current lack of a formal white paper meant to guide national security and foreign policy, to crucial aspects required for providing direction to the South African National Defence Force (SANDF). Given SANDF’s current turmoil, the release of NSS is seen as vital by members of parliament, across the political spectrum.

The delay prompted a written parliamentary question from Democratic Alliance MP Chris Hattingh. After an initial inquiry in October 2024, Hattingh posed a follow-up question on 23 May 2025, as to when the NSS or a redacted version would be released and why publication had not occurred since the document’s finalisation.

In her response, Minister Ntshavheni stated that the revision of the release date was due to ongoing consultations and legal guidance regarding the implications of publishing material produced by national intelligence structures. She cited the need to balance constitutional obligations under Section 198 and the National Strategic Intelligence Act (Act 39 of 1994). While affirming her commitment to the release, Ntshavheni said the NSS would be published once these processes were concluded, preferably before her next budget vote speech, which is scheduled for 15 July 2025.

This delay is despite Ntshavheni statement in her 2024 budget speech that the strategy was already approved by Cabinet, following consultation with the National Intelligence Co-ordinating Committee (NICOC) and the Joint Standing Committee on Intelligence (JSCI). Further, Ntshavheni noted that “in accordance with the law and best practice,” the NSS would be released in September 2024.

The 2024/25 NIE, which was also expected to be released in August 2024, has similarly not been made public. There has been no formal update on its status or whether a new estimate has since been prepared for the 2025/26 financial year.

The continued non-publication of both documents raises concerns about transparency and accountability in the intelligence sector. While some degree of classification is expected in national security matters, the lack of even a redacted or summarised NSS contrasts with international practices in democratic governance, where strategic frameworks are often published in abridged form to allow public and parliamentary scrutiny.

The delays in publishing the NSS and NIE come amid broader calls for reform and transparency in the intelligence sector, following the recommendations of the High-Level Review Panel on the State Security Agency, which emphasised the need for improved public accountability.

With no new publication date confirmed, attention will likely remain on the Ministry’s commitment to openness and whether these key strategic documents will be released within the current financial year.

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Addressing concerns about the potential detriment to national security due to downsizing and the removal of seasoned intelligence staff, Minister Ntshavheni confirmed that the SSA’s human resources policy prioritises ongoing intakes into its cadet programme. This, she said, is designed to ensure a continuous pipeline of new talent within the agency.

According to the Minister, additional efforts are being made through the Intelligence Academy and the SSA’s bursary scheme to formalise training initiatives and identify critical skills shortages. These include mentoring, coaching, job shadowing, and other workplace learning initiatives aimed at addressing both current and future leadership, functional, and technology-related skills gaps.

A succession plan is currently in place, particularly for senior management roles, the Minister added.

On the issue of staff reductions, Minister Ntshavheni clarified that the Voluntary Severance Package (VSP) programme was introduced as part of a wider restructuring effort. This restructuring follows the recommendations of the High-Level Review Panel Report, which called for a redefinition of the agency’s mandate, improved personnel management, and the modernisation of its operations.

She stressed that the VSP initiative is aligned with the government’s early retirement scheme, announced during the October 2024 mid-term budget by the Minister of Finance. All VSP applications, she noted, are voluntary but subject to approval or rejection based on the agency’s operational needs.

While the Minister’s reply outlines a clear strategy for talent development and organisational reform, it does not directly address whether any non-financial factors are contributing to the removal of experienced personnel, beyond the general references to modernisation and restructuring. Critics may question whether these measures sufficiently mitigate the potential risks of losing institutional knowledge in a volatile global security environment.

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Responding to a series of questions from NCOP members, Minister Ntshavheni stated that the SSA had completed a full-scale internal skills audit to assess personnel competencies. “The skills audit has helped to clarify the skills and competency gaps within the agency,” she said. “It has supported the need for a skills refresh through both training and retraining, voluntary service packages, and alternative redeployment.”

The audit, she explained, was followed by the implementation of training programmes targeting core capabilities, including data science, cyber analysis, and intelligence tradecraft. “We need skills in data science and related fields. The recruitment process will close those gaps,” she noted, adding that career-pathing and succession planning frameworks were being finalised to support longer-term professional development.

Ntshavheni confirmed that with the General Intelligence Laws Amendment Bill (GILAB) being signed into law, the road has been paved for the structural separation of domestic and foreign intelligence branches within the SSA. However, she stressed that the two new entities were not yet operational. “They will only start to operate on the day that will be proclaimed by the President,” she said. “We are working to ensure that all necessary regulations are in place before the proclamation to mitigate risk and ensure accountability.”

She emphasised that while the agency is undergoing reconfiguration, it is not being dismantled, “There is neither a dissolution of existing structures nor the establishment of new entities, but an organisational reconfiguration of the SSA to enhance operational, strategic, and organisational efficiency.”

This process, she said, had been benchmarked against international best practices. “A team was appointed to study global intelligence models, and we were fortunate that this benchmarking work was completed before the amendment bill was finalised.”

In response to concerns over transparency and past political interference, the Minister reiterated that oversight of the intelligence sector remains with the Joint Standing Committee on Intelligence (JSCI) and the Inspector-General of Intelligence. “The JSCI has completed an induction at the SSA head office, and feedback indicates satisfaction with the level of disclosure,” she said. “We are also finalising internal regulations that will govern accountability and performance.”

When pressed about internal resistance to change, Ntshavheni acknowledged the challenge but stated that steps were being taken to address it. “We’ve appointed a dedicated change management officer to engage with staff and management,” she explained. “Management swaps have also been introduced to prevent the perception of purges, and we are using alternative deployment mechanisms so staff do not feel discarded but rather repurposed.”

She reported improved cooperation from within the agency, particularly among junior ranks: “Intelligence officers below management level have been very supportive of the changes, especially those recommended by the Zondo Commission and High-Level Review Panel.”

The Minister clarified that the SSA does not have arrest powers but contributes by collecting and sharing intelligence with law enforcement. “Our duty is to identify and profile syndicates so that the police do not just shoot in the dark,” she said. “We hand over what we gather to SAPS and other agencies.”

SSA, she explained, participates in the National Priority Crimes Operational Committee (NPCOC) and is part of the team developing a national integrated strategy to combat transnational organised crime. The strategy is expected to be finalised by September 2025.

She also confirmed that SSA is working closely with the Financial Intelligence Centre (FIC), the Financial Sector Conduct Authority, the Reserve Bank, and the banking industry to address money laundering, suspicious transactions, and criminal use of crypto-assets. “We have a solid working relationship in this environment,” she said.

Ntshavheni stated that SSA is actively monitoring political movements and support groups, both foreign and domestic, that may pose a risk to national security. “We are vigilant against disinformation campaigns, cyber operations, and ideological influences that could destabilise public trust in democratic institutions,” she said.

When asked about the spread of narratives that allegedly incite racial division or foreign intervention, she confirmed that “law enforcement agencies are investigating acts of treason relating to false information being spread internationally.” She acknowledged the need for better regulation of civil society organisations while affirming that constitutional freedoms would be respected. “The transformation of governance frameworks will not infringe on civil liberties but will strengthen oversight of nonprofit organisations,” she said.

Concluding her remarks, the Minister said that many of the reforms aim to institutionalise accountability mechanisms. “We are working to ensure that governance improvements are not tied to a particular minister but embedded within the system,” she stated. “People who hold the appropriate skills do not owe their position to anyone, and that helps depoliticise the agency.”

The Minister also highlighted the importance of performance management frameworks and regulatory clarity: “Accountability will no longer depend on favours. It will be guided by regulations and operational directives that bring certainty to how intelligence work is executed.”

While noting that reform is ongoing, she affirmed that capacity exists within the SSA to support current operations: “We are not yet where we want to be, but we are on track.”

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“The SSA does not have a directive for compulsory early retirement or dismissal of employees over 50 for operational reasons or retrenchments,” said Ntshavheni. “This initiative aligns with broader government efforts to streamline public service while ensuring that those implicated in wrongdoing are not given a free pass.”

The move also forms part of efforts to professionalize the SSA, in line with recommendations made in the High-Level Review Panel Report. According to the Minister, the initiative is not intended to shield employees implicated in allegations of state capture, corruption, or fraud.

“The SSA continues to cooperate fully with law enforcement agencies investigating and prosecuting individuals implicated in criminal activities highlighted in the Judicial Commission of Inquiry into Allegations of State Capture,” Ntshavheni added.

As part of its internal accountability measures, the SSA is finalizing the establishment of an Independent Panel to oversee disciplinary proceedings related to violations of law and regulations. “This panel, formed in response to recommendations from the High-Level Review Panel, is expected to begin its work in April or May 2025,” the Minister confirmed.

The SSA’s response reaffirms the agency’s commitment to upholding integrity and accountability while ensuring that necessary reforms align with broader government policies. The voluntary retirement process will be conducted transparently, ensuring that implicated individuals remain subject to investigations and possible prosecution.

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Additionally, SSA operatives and analysts saw to it law enforcement agencies, in the form of the Border Management Authority (BMA) and SA Police Service (SAPS), were provided with intelligence “product” on vulnerabilities at South Africa’s air, land and maritime ports of entry.

Ntshavheni was replying to Sixolisa Gcilishe, an Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) Member of Parliament (MP). Gcilishe is a National Assembly (NA) public representative who sought details of assistance given to law enforcement to “improve efficiency and effectiveness in combatting crime and ensuring justice for victims”.

The Ntshavheni reply has it the SSA “set an objective to provide intelligence in line with National Intelligence Priorities (NIPs) – to inform, forewarn, advise and contribute to combat organised crime on intelligence risks related to securing the territorial integrity, sovereignty and constitutional order” in the 2024/2025 financial year.

It notes further: “There is continuous support to law enforcement agencies to improve their efficiency and effectiveness in combating crime and ensuring justice for victims. However, the SSA still endeavours and pursues the aim of intelligence collection, analysis, advice and recommendations to focus intensively over the next five years on threats to the critical success factors of the 7th administration’s priorities that are encapsulated in the draft medium term development plan (MTDP) 2024 /2029”.

South Africa’s intelligence agents find themselves in an environment characterised by what the minister said is “an escalation of threats” in 2024/25. These include to the authority of the State, the well-being and safety of South Africans as well as the country’s territorial integrity and the economy.

“Alerts and daily intelligence products on various instances of social instability were provided to the National Joints and Intelligence Structure (NATJOINTS), SAPS, at national and provincial levels, and SAPS Crime Intelligence. The products were used to inform deployments by law enforcement structures aimed at curbing anti-constitutional activities and preventing harm and damage to personnel, property and infrastructure.

“In addition, strategic products are generated in accordance with the 2024/25 SSA production schedule. Through recommendations to policymakers and law enforcement agencies, the products contribute toward preventing risks and threats to national security in the medium to long term,” Ntshavenhi stated.

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In a parliamentary reply, Minister in the Presidency Khumbudzo Ntshavheni stated the SSA “continues to prioritise comprehensive investigative efforts aimed at determining the veracity of such allegations.” The agency is employing a multi-faceted approach to gather intelligence and evaluate whether South Africa has any direct or indirect links to terrorist entities operating in the region. These efforts are supported by robust collaborations with regional security counterparts, including intelligence agencies from neighbouring countries and international partners.

A key focus of these efforts is to determine if any terrorist groups active in Southern Africa are using South Africa as a logistical base or as a conduit for financing and resources. Where credible links are identified, the SSA is leading joint investigative initiatives with its regional partners, aiming to disrupt and neutralise any identified threats, although Minister Ntshavheni did not give further details or examples of recent successes.

South Africa’s national security strategy, which Minister Ntshavheni promised to release in August, is reliant on regional cooperation and intelligence sharing. The SSA is fully engaged in high-level discussions with other Southern African countries to build a comprehensive picture of regional terrorism dynamics.

Given the transnational nature of terrorism, collaboration is essential. By working closely with neighbouring nations, the SSA intends to enhance its capacity to respond to evolving threats that may not necessarily be confined to South Africa but could affect the broader region.

Many of the concerns surrounding South Africa’s potential role as a terrorist logistical hub stem from allegations raised in media reports and academic research. However, according to the Minister, these assertions “currently lack substantiated evidence.” The SSA has committed to critically evaluating such claims, undertaking systematic investigations to verify the validity of the information, noted the Minister.

This approach seeks to ensures the SSA does not act on speculation, but rather on verified intelligence which accurately reflects the security landscape. This allows the SSA to identify any gaps in intelligence that need to be addressed to improve the country’s overall security framework.

In “fulfilment of its counter intelligence mandate,” the SSA is further taking a “central role in directing” South Africa’s domestic law enforcement response to terrorism and terrorism financing risks. This is done through the implementation of the country’s revised National Counter-Terrorism Strategy (NCTS) and the National Counter the Financing of Terrorism Strategy (NCFTS).

These strategies outline comprehensive frameworks for detecting, investigating, and disrupting terrorist activities within South Africa’s borders. The SSA works closely with other law enforcement agencies, financial institutions, and intelligence bodies to detect and intercept financial flows linked to terrorist organisations, as well as to track and dismantle logistical networks that support these groups.

The revision of these strategies reflects South Africa’s commitment to strengthening its counter-terrorism architecture, ensuring a coordinated and proactive response to terrorism-related threats. It also demonstrates the country’s determination to prevent terrorism financing and to reduce the operational space available to extremist groups within the region.

“This coordinated response is pivotal to strengthening national security and demonstrating the SSA’s and all relevant security cluster department’s unwavering commitment to countering and preventing terrorism in all its forms and manifestations, domestically and regionally,” said the Minister in her reply.

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This was part of her written response to a question from uMkhonto we Sizwe Party (MKP) National Assembly (NA) parliamentarian Moshome Motubatse. He wanted to know why private security companies were used at, among others, airports.

On NKPs Ntshavheni’s reply has it the SAPS Protection and Security Services (PSS) division is responsible, adding “the owner of the institution or NKP is responsible for appointing a service provider to secure the facility”. This can either be in-house security or a private security company. “As such, the responsibility of providing security is not allocated to the state.”

NKPs include Eskom coal and nuclear power stations as well as pumped storage schemes and transmission facilities. Also in the NKP fold are airports and what are deemed strategic transport infrastructure such as tunnels for both road and rail. Dams, including Gariep, Theewaterskloof, Midmar and the Vaal River system are also classified as NKPs.

NKPs and their protection set out in the NKP Act of 1980 have migrated to the 2019 Critical Infrastructure Protection Act.

The provision of in-house or private security has been over-ridden with, in one instance, soldiers deployed at Eskom power stations on the eastern Mpumalanga Highveld to assist in preventing cable theft. During the 2021 outbreak of violence and looting in Gauteng and KwaZulu-Natal, soldiers from the SA Army regulars and reserves found themselves on duty at toll roads and bridges deemed to be potential sites for anarchy.

Where institutions and organisations such as Eskom and the Airports Company of South Africa (ACSA) contract with private security companies they have to ensure “strict requirements” are met.

Private security companies appointed to guard state institutions and NKPs must be registered with the Private Security Industry Regulatory Authority (PSIRA), the private security industry regulator.

The State Security Agency (SSA) as per Ntshavheni’s reply, supports the SAPS by “providing forewarning to potential and identified threats” to institutions and NKPs.

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It has been reported that the Minister instructed approximately 200 senior SSA officials that they must retire early or face dismissal. Further reports suggest that a similar ultimatum will be extended to the rest of the SSA’s staff in the near future.

The DA has expressed concern that this blanket policy could result in the loss of valuable intelligence expertise within the SSA, without evaluating the individual contributions of its employees. Without the protections of the Labour Relations Act, SSA staff may have limited recourse in challenging this decision, Democratic Alliance spokesperson on state security, Dianne Kohler Barnard, said.

In response to the findings of the Zondo Commission of Inquiry into State Capture, which revealed significant misconduct within the SSA, the DA has reiterated its call for the disbandment of the agency. It advocates for the creation of a fully independent, efficient, and transparent state security agency that operates free from political interference, the party said in a statement. “The DA also emphasizes the need for strengthened parliamentary oversight of national security matters.”

The DA further points out that, to date, no arrests or recoveries have been made regarding the SSA’s mismanagement during the presidency of Jacob Zuma. Despite the exposure of corruption within the agency, the SSA has yet to effectively address internal misconduct or rebuild its operations.

While the DA acknowledges the need for reform within the SSA, it argues that the mass retirement or retrenchment of hundreds of employees, without assessing their individual qualifications or involvement in past wrongdoing, may be a disproportionate response. The DA stresses that each employee’s expertise, performance, and potential links to corruption should be considered before making such sweeping decisions.

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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 6^th 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.”

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George had asked Minister Nshavheni which steps had been taken “taken to reverse the amalgamation,” of the State Security Agency (SSA). The question was based on the findings by Health Literacy Research and Practice into the SSA in 2018, which stated “the amalgamation of National Intelligence Agency and South African Secret Service into the SSA did not achieve its purported objectives and was contrary to existing policy.”

In her response, Minister Nshavheni noted the “process to amend the laws is done through the General Intelligence Laws Amendment Bill, which has been passed by parliament namely the National Assembly and is now awaiting the President to sign the Bill into law.”

Further, she reiterated the Government’s full commitment to “the process of reversing the amalgamation.”

“The Agency, through the GILAB Implementation Task Team, have already developed a high-level structural design of both the South African Intelligence Service (Foreign Service) and South African Intelligence Agency (Domestic Service). Once the Bill is enacted into legislation, the President will appoint the Directors-General of the two new Departments, who may further refine the proposed structures and make determinations on the priority areas for capacitation taking into consideration budgetary implications,” said Minister Nshavheni.

On 15 July 2024, Minister Nshavheni announced during the SSA Budget Vote, that she intended to release the National Security Strategy in September 2024, “in accordance with the law and best practice.”

Cabinet had further reportedly approved the 2024/25 National Intelligence Estimate (NIE), which was prepared by the National Intelligence Co-ordinating Committee (NICOC) alongside the Joints Standing Committee on Intelligence (JSCI). The NIE “provides an analysis of the prevailing threats to national security and [classifies] them according to severity and priority for implementation.” Minister Ntshavheni stated that once the JSCI of the 7^th administration had been established, a progress report of the implementation would be handed over and followed by the release of the 2024/25 NIE in August 2024.

However, as of 22 October 2024, neither the NIE or the National Security Strategy have been released.

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