R2K Statement: After SONA and SSA break-in, there needs to be a serious house cleaning of South Africa’s spooks!

A full year after the 2019 SONA, when President Cyril Ramaphosa promised to clean up the corruption and factional abuses at the State Security Agency, we are still waiting for results; recent events tell us why. Just a few days ago we learned there had been yet another break-in at the SSA, in which cash and confidential documents were stolen –  further confirmation of why we are still waiting for evidence that the President is taking this ‘clean-up’ seriously.

We are concerned about the security breach, which seems like a well coordinated plan. According to the Hawks’ spokesperson, there was no reported physical damage to the building. One of the most immediate questions that arises is why the security personnel on duty at the time were not stationed where they were supposed to be and why the CCTV cameras in the building were apparently malfunctioning? It looks and smells like an inside job! 

One of the key findings of the High Level Panel was that political fractionalization of the intelligence community over the past decade has resulted in a complete disregard for the Constitution, policy, legislation and other legal prescripts. 

We remain concerned given the problems that have beset the agency in recent times. We believe there is a need for an urgent internal forensic investigation in order to get to the bottom of this recent break in. Combined with the 2015 break-in that saw R17 million and confidential and classified documents being stolen, serious questions have to be raised about the level of security at the agency. It cannot be that one of the most highly guarded buildings in this country can experience such brazen break ins and no one gets caught!

We therefore call on President Ramaphosa to follow through on the commitment he made when appointing the panel to identify all material factors that have contributed to current challenges in the State Security Agency so that appropriate measures can be instituted to prevent a recurrence. 

• Provide a status report on the implementation of the recommendations by the High Level Panel that he appointed given that it is nearly a year later since the release of the report and very little seem to have changed within the agency as shown by the recent developments. This would be central to providing the kind of progress on the steps taken to reform the State Security and where much effort is still needed to fundamentally transform the agency.

The High Level Panel report recommended the urgent development of a National Security Strategy as an overriding basis for redefining and refining the concepts, values, policies, practices and architecture involved in South Africa’s approach to security; and further, that the report be the subject of engagement with Parliament’s Joint Standing Committee on Intelligence, the Inspector-General of Intelligence and the Auditor-General.

• As such, we call on the Joint Standing Committee on Intelligence, the Office of The Inspector General as well as the auditor General to fulfill their oversight mandate in ensuring that the Ministry of State Security accounts for the reforms it has initiated and provide a reasonable timeframe for the implementation of the outstanding reforms to be concluded.  

Nearly a year later after the tabling of the report, very little has happened. This is despite the President promising that the appropriate law enforcement bodies, oversight institutions and internal disciplinary bodies to investigate all manifest breaches of the law, regulations and other prescripts in the SSA, will spring into action with a view to instituting, where appropriate, criminal prosecution and/or disciplinary proceedings. We haven’t seen anyone as yet being held accountable, nor any of the recommendations being fully implemented.    

• We are therefore calling on the President to hold the Ministry accountable for ensuring the prosecution of all those involved in eroding the internal financial management, legal and operational rules of the agency. It is incumbent on the National Prosecuting Authority to proceed with these prosecutions at the instruction of the President and the Ministry.

We call for transparency, accountability and report back on the kinds of progress being made and the steps being made. 

For more information contact:

Thami Nkosi, R2K Countering Repression Organizer: 062 624 5992 

Percy Nhau, R2K National Working Group Member: 071 280 5047

Dale McKinley, R2K Activist: 072 429 4086