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Spy versus spy
By Kennedy Mudzuli
JOHANNESBURG – It’s spy versus spy. Six of South Africa’s civilian intelligence organisations are under investigation for malpractice and abuse of state power and resources.
This emerged from the Ministerial Review Commission launched in Parliament yesterday by Intelligence Minister Ronnie Kasrils.
They are the National Intelligence Agency (NIA), South African Secret Service, National Intelligence Co-ordinating Committee, National Communications Centre, Electronic Communication Security Centre and the Office of Interception.
The commission will be chaired by former Deputy Minister of Safety and Security Joe Matthews, with former Speaker of Parliament Dr Frene Ginwala and peace and conflict studies expert Laurie Nathan as commissioners.
Kasrils said the establishment of the commission was necessitated by malpractice which occurred within the NIA during 2005.
He said: “We have opted to use this lamentable episode at the NIA to undertake fundamental reforms aimed at preventing it in the future.
“To do this, we need to review the legislation and strengthen regulations, operational procedures and control measures.
“There is also a need to attend to the perfidious mentality that enabled dirty tricks to take place, and such reforms must be placed in the public domain so as to rebuild the public’s confidence and trust.
“The commission will strengthen mechanisms of control of the country’s civilian intelligence services, to ensure full compliance and alignment with the constitution, constitutional principles and rule of law, and minimise the potential for illegal conduct and abuse of power.”
Its focus will be on executive control, control mechanisms related to intelligence service operations, methods of investigation, political non-partisanship, balance between secrecy and transparency, and funding.
The commission will review legislation, regulations, reports, directives, invite submissions, hold public consultations and undertake studies of good governance of intelligence services in other countries.
It will submit its first report to Kasrils in the middle of 2007.
The final report containing practical recommendations for strengthening regulation and control of intelligence services will be ready by the end of 2007.
Kasrils will then forward it to the head of the Joint Standing Committee on Intelligence, Dr Siyabonga Cwele, who will study the recommendations, and make decisions.
DA spokesman on intelligence advocate Paul Swart said: “We have been on record on the need to review intelligence structures, and are pleased that the focus of the commission will include control over methods of investigation and funding.”
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