President Cyril Ramaphosa has the country’s spies reporting directly to him. He has disbanded the Ministry of State Security and placed all what he terms as the political responsibility of the State Security Agency under the Presidency.

Corruption accused Zizi Kodwa has been appointed as the Deputy Minister in the Presidency responsible for state security. He will serve under Minister in the Presidency Mondli Gungubele.

Former minister Dr Sydney Mufamadi has been appointed as the country’s security adviser. President Ramaphosa says this is to improve support to him and the National Security Council in the strategic management of the country’s security. Charles Nqakula held the position previously before stepping down.

In 2018 Mufamadi led a High-Level Review Panel into the SSA which charged that Jacob Zuma during his presidency abused the intelligence services for his own political and personal interests including fighting factional battles in the governing ANC.

Director of Research at the Auwal Socio-Economic Research Institute (ASRI), Angelo Fick indicates that the parliamentary oversight committee on state security has a tough task ahead as debate is underway on whether the presidency should be the home of this portfolio.

President Cyril Ramaphosa placing himself at the centre of state security comes as the highly divided ANC goes into an elective conference in 2022 and as the country will hold a national election in 2024. Fick says there has been a history of ANC members who have abused their government positions to get party work done.

[Picture: GCIS]