Parliament, Monday, 9 August 2021 – The Chairperson of the Joint Standing Committee on Intelligence (JSCI), Mr Jerome Maake, recently received an approval from the House Chairpersons of the respective Houses of Parliament to embark on an inquiry into allegations of intelligence failures by the intelligence services.
Following the outbreak of the events of violence and looting that took place in KZN and Gauteng provinces in July, and which some South Africans attribute to the failure of intelligence, the JSCI engaged with the intelligence services on 15 and 16 July 2021 to perform its oversight role as outlined in the Constitution and the law.
At these meetings the need for the inquiry emerged after the committee received full briefings on the July unrests from the intelligence services. The inquiry will only be confined to the mandate of the JSCI as contained in the Constitution, the applicable legislation and Joint Rules of Parliament.
Unlike other parliamentary committees, the JSCI conducts its activities in closed sessions as guided by the Intelligence Services Oversight Act 1994, (Act No. 40 of 1994), not all information pertaining to the work of the committee may be disclosed to the public. However, some information will be contained in the Annual Report of the JSCI to be published soon.
The High-Level Review Panel report reflects the challenges in the intelligence services and what needs to be done. More importantly, the Legacy Report of the Fifth Parliament also indicates the same challenges. The JSCI is, however, concerned with the slow implementation of the recommendations and has expressed its position to the appropriate implementing authorities.
It is for this reason that several special meetings were held in Pretoria with the Minister of State Security and the State Security Agency (SSA), even at the peak of the Covid-19 pandemic as reflected in the Annual Report of the JSCI which is going to be published. The committee continues to urge the SSA to implement the recommendations without delay and to continue reporting on a quarterly basis.
With regards to the proceedings at the Judicial Commission of Inquiry into the Allegations of State Capture, Corruption and Fraud in the Public Sector including Organs of State, the JSCI is following and awaits the report of the Commission. In the meantime, oversight continues which includes probing some of the matters ventilated at the Commission.
On behalf of the JSCI, Mr Maake appreciates Adv MS Muofhe for his tenure as the Director Domestic Branch, at the SSA until his retirement on 31 July 2021. The committee is grateful that Adv Muofhe steered the ship in the Domestic Branch through a difficult period in the SSA that was plagued by instability at senior management level and other challenges. “We are grateful for his service and wish him well on his retirement and future endeavours,” added Mr Maake.
ISSUED BY THE PARLIAMENTARY COMMUNICATION SERVICES ON BEHALF OF THE CHAIRPERSON OF THE JOINT STANDING COMMITTEE ON INTELLIGENCE, MR JEROME MAAKE.
For media enquiries, please contact the committee’s Media Officer:
Name: Ms Faith Ndenze
Parliamentary Communication Services
Tel: 021 403 8062
Cell: 081 377 0686
Email: fndenze@parliament.gov.za
Arrange a tour