State Security Agency (SSA) hiding behind and exploiting classified information provision

27 January 2021

The testimony given by the acting Director-general of the State Security Agency (SSA), Loyiso Jafta, before the Zondo Commission made it clear that the Agency is misusing secret state funds on a large scale.

Under the smokescreen that state security may be jeopardised, questions posed to the SSA in Parliament are answered evasively and that has created a fertile breeding ground for corruption as has now become evident in the Zondo Commission's inquiry.

This raises the question of what function the Joint Standing Committee on Intelligence is fulfilling in Parliament and what kind of oversight role the Committee has over the SSA.

The Committee's members are required to obtain special secret clearance, which means that all sensitive information should be safely divulged to the Committee. However, the recent revelations create the impression that the Committee is failing to do its job.

Drastic action must be taken against the members of the SSA who are guilty of serious misconduct and the violation of relevant legislation, particularly with regard to issuing firearms to certain individuals.

The FF Plus (Dr Pieter Groenewald) will pose a formal parliamentary question to the Minister of State Security, Ayanda Dlodlo, asking exactly how many firearms were issued, who they were issued to, for what purpose they were issued and whether any of them have been used to commit any offences.

If the said firearms were indeed used to commit offences, the SSA is liable to civil prosecution, which means that taxpayers will have to pay for the misconduct and misuse of a government department.

The allegations that millions of rand were paid to former President Jacob Zuma are very serious and the FF Plus will request The Hawks in writing today to immediately launch an investigation into these payments. If they prove to be true, Zuma must be criminally prosecuted.

Drastic changes must be made to legislation so as to steer the SSA towards more transparency.

Details regarding operations do not need to be disclosed, but information about the funds spent on those operations must be made available to the Joint Standing Committee on Intelligence.

Issued by Pieter Groenewald, FF Plus leader, 27 January 2021