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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