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Reshuffle of State Security Agency could be delayed

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Advocate Mahlodi Muofhe
Advocate Mahlodi Muofhe

There is still a long way to go towards the planned restructuring of the State Security Agency (SSA) as the scheduled deadline of end of March comes up this week.

However, the agency was this week adamant that there was never a deadline to introduce a new structure that would see the National Intelligence Agency brought back as the domestic branch, and the South African Security Services managing foreign intelligence.

However, with the contracts of acting director-general Loyiso Jafta and head of branch Mahlodi Muofhe coming to an end on Tuesday, sceptics tell City Press that the planned changes would take a lot more time to implement due to dual communication channels existing between President Cyril Ramaphosa and the agency.

An “informal” adviser to former state security minister Dipuo Letsatsi-Duba, who was replaced last year by the current minister, Ayanda Dlodlo, said that when Letsatsi-Duba came in, she appointed veterans like Gibson Njenje as her advisors ­­– a move which left Jafta sidelined.

However, she then found that Jafta “was speaking to Ramaphosa directly, creating a situation where the president was briefed on two fronts”.

“That thing continued until Letsatsi-Duba realised that Jafta was powerful and dumped Njenje and team,” said the source, who did not want to be named.

The source said Dlodlo “finds herself in the same situation. It is going to be difficult to implement that new structure and possibly it is going to take time. I will be very surprised if the two [Jafta and Muofhe] are not brought back,” said the source. For as long as Ramaphosa “checkmates” the minister with the director-general “we are in trouble”, the source said.

Another SSA insider said that there should be an amendment of the General Intelligence Laws Amendment Bill.

The changes were “technical, with minor policy amendments”, said the person.

“Thereafter, once the bill is presented through the cluster of minister, Cabinet and then Parliament, you deal with the element of the structure. The structure comes last.”

The person said that the contracts of Jafta and Muofhe were coming to an end and “only Ramaphosa could say he is extending or whatever”.

Dlodlo could recommend to Ramaphosa, but the president had “the final say” on the matter. However, said the insider, “in this case, we are talking about the acting and not the permanent appointment”.

SSA spokesperson Mava Scott said that the contracts of Jafta and Muofhe were officially coming to an end at the end of March.

“Both appointments are a competency of the President in terms of legislation and we believe they will receive the necessary attention at that level,” Scott said.

He said the foreign branch position, currently held in acting capacity by Joyce Mashele, was “receiving the necessary attention from the minister’s office, in consultation with the president”.

Regarding the re-establishment of the two branches of intelligence service, Scott said “there was never a deadline set for the disestablishment of SSA and the establishment of foreign and domestic intelligence services”.

“The unfolding legislative process entails a whole host of things, including gazetting for public comment after the bill is approved by Cabinet. The bill will then be submitted to Parliament for passing,” he said.

Dlodlo last year lamented resistance to change by certain senior officials in the agency, but had vowed to implement the changes regardless.

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