‘You can’t take a penknife to a gunfight’: DA on State Security budget

Democratic Alliance (DA) Shadow Minister of State Security Dianne Kohler Barnard came out guns blazing in her response to Minister in the Presidency Khumbudzo Ntshavheni’s State Security Agency (SSA) budget policy speech in Parliament on Friday.

DA raises concerns about State Security Agency budget cuts

Kohler Barnard, among other issues, raised concerns about National Treasury slashing the State Security Agency’s maintenance budgets by two-thirds. She likened it to taking “a penknife to a gun fight”.

“You can’t send dedicated personnel into dangerous situations with antiquated equipment. Let’s see the big wigs of the Treasury use 3G from last century while the criminal syndicates use 5G and soon 6G.”

‘Looting via State Security Agency’ – Kohler Barnard

The DA MP said it is a “crying shame” that Crime Intelligence, Defence Intelligence and the State Security Agency personnel have to deal with these budgetary constraints.

Kohler Barnard argued that if proper follow-up proceedings were put into place to address High Level Review Panel Report (HLRP) and Zondo Commission revelations of “looting via the State Security Agency”, the use of “antiquated equipment across our security cluster” would not be a reality today.

Ntshavheni: ‘Lessons learnt’ from unrests

In her budget policy speech, Ntshavheni, however, reflected on the progress made on the commitments of the previous financial year and also outlined the new targets for the 2023/24 financial year.

The minister said that “lessons learnt” from the 2021 unrests and looting in parts of Gauteng and KwaZulu-Natal, have led to the integration of various law enforcement agencies.

According to Ntshavheni, the minimal incidents experienced during the Economic Freedom Fighters’ (EFF) national shutdown in March this year, served as a proof in point.

State Security focus on organised crime

She further said clamping down on organised crime was one of the State Security Agency’s focus areas.

“The capacity of an integrated law enforcement service and effective partnership was demonstrated during the 2023 March shutdown. In this regard, we are integrating law enforcement operations to become intelligence driven and prosecution focused, while the police lead the execution. Our priority in this regard is to urgently combat organised crime in all its form.”

Impact of load shedding

Ntshavheni blamed the ongoing rolling blackouts for creating “an environment for criminal elements to operate in the cover of darkness”.

She said the State Security Agency will demand a direct response from Electricity Minister Kgosientsho Ramokgopa as to how Eskom and the government will be dealing with the load shedding crisis.  

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State Security Agency to target following challenges

The minister also touched upon some other challenges, including the budget cut constraints, in her speech:

• Efforts to bring about a balance in transparency of the SSA’s operations;
• Budget cuts affecting the South African National Defence Force’s (SANDF) ability to deal with crimes across borders;
• Tactical units’ ability to deal with security threats emanating from acts of sabotage;
• Criminal activities due to the rate of unemployment in the country; and
• The false impression of strained relations between South Africa and the United States (US). This after US ambassador Reuben Brigety’s allegations on 11 May that South Africa loaded arms onto Lady R, a Russian ship docked at the Simon’s Town naval base, in December last year;
• The movement of refugees across the country’s borders;
• The illicit trade in cigarettes;
• The SSA’s fight against wildlife and environmental crimes in cooperation with China, Russia, Italy and the US’;
• Money laundering; and
• Widespread corruption.

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