President Cyril Ramaphosa has appointed a minister in his office to head South Africa’s state security agencies following the dissolving of the ministry of state security last year.
Ramaphosa said on Tuesday that he had decided to assign responsibility for the State Security Agency to Minister in the Presidency, Mondli Gungubele, while Zizi Kodwa would remain deputy state security minister.
“This is in line with his announcement of 5 August 2021 that the Ministry of State Security would be done away with and political responsibility for the State Security Agency would reside in the presidency,” Ramaphosa said in a statement.
The country’s Constitution empowers the president to assume political responsibility for the intelligence services – other than those of the police service or national defence force – by appointing a member of the cabinet to assume this responsibility, the statement said.
The main opposition Democratic Alliance, however, argued that the moving of the State Security Agency to the presidency might lead to further secrecy.
The party emphasised that Parliament’s oversight role regarding the intelligence services was crucial to the health of South Africa’s democracy.
NM/jn/APA