Minister Ntshavheni unveils major reforms in the State Security Agency

THE State Security Agency is setting up a panel to investigate and discipline those implicated in wrongdoing by the Zondo Commission and other probes, according to Minister Khumbudzo Ntshavheni.

“The agency is completing the process to establish a panel to undertake disciplinary inquiry related to the work of the Zondo Commission, the High Level Review Panel, and other investigations. The implementation of the outstanding recommendations will be prioritised and finalised in the current financial year,” Ntshavheni said.

This takes place as the SSA is redesigning its structure and redefining its mandate.

Responding to questions in the National Council of Provinces, Ntshavheni said a skills audit was conducted across the agency to clarify skills and competency gaps.

“The skills audit outcome has supported the skills refresh through retraining, voluntary severance package or alternative deployment to ensure a steady pipeline of skilled intelligence officers. The supporting training programme is being developed while the most critical programme started being implemented,” she said.

Ntshavheni also said the SSA organisational structure redesign and reorganisation process was underway to ensure the organisation operated optimally.

“The agency is redefining its mandate, improving personnel management and modernising intelligence capability.”

She noted that the General Intelligence Laws Amendment Bill has been signed into law, and work has begun to prepare for the separation of the SSA into two departments – the Foreign Intelligence Service and the Domestic Intelligence Agency.

This work includes redrafting the regulations to improve governance and coordination between the two departments, including the supporting entities, the Office Interception Centre.

Ntshavheni assured the MPs that the changes at the SSA would not lead to the collapse of the state.

“Indeed, change resistance is a big issue, more especially when dealing with an organisation facing challenges like the SSA. We have appointed a change management officer who is working with staff and management to ensure that there is minimal resistance to change.

“We have done reconfiguration, including management swaps to make nobody feel there is a purge or anything like that,” she said, adding that the alternative deployment mechanism ensured that people did not feel they were discarded but were put into better use.

“Intelligence officers below management have been happy with the change required as necessitated by the Zondo Commission and the High Level Review Panel. We have great support from general intelligence, and, therefore, there will not be a collapse of the environment or the work of SSA through the process of change,” added Ntshavheni.