Hon members, in 2009 the President of the Republic of South Africa took a decision to review the civilian intelligence architecture to enhance efficiency, effectiveness and co-ordination. This was followed by Presidential Proclamation No 59 of 2009 to bring together the National Intelligence Agency, NIA, the SA Secret Service, Sass, as well as the SA National Academy of Intelligence, Sanai, the Electronic Communications Security, Comsec, and the Office of Interception Centre, IOC, to have a single entity called the State Security Agency, SSA. Chairperson, the amalgamation of these entities meant that a major restructuring process for the SSA was to follow to allow the unbundling of the fragmented structures of the national security service agencies and bodies which affected the efficiency owing to overlapping mandates, unnecessary turf battles and wasteful duplications.
Chairperson, in his 2010 Budget Vote speech the Minister of State Security, Dr S C Cwele, announced the progress on restructuring by high-level appointments and centralising command and control of the civilian intelligence community under one director-general with the assistance of the heads of domestic and foreign branches. He further announced the appointment of Deputy Director-General for Corporate Services, Prof Sandy Africa, to assist with the undisruptive and swift reorganisation of state security institutions. Further developments and appointments were announced in the 2011 Budget Vote, which were noted by the Joint Standing Committee on Intelligence, JSCI.
Chairperson, since the 2011 Budget Vote a couple of changes at the services, over and above the current restructuring, took place. After the resignation of Prof Africa, the director-general, as well as both heads of domestic and foreign branches, resigned from the SSA. Although the progress with the restructuring is noted, the pace at which it is unfolding raises great concern insofar as the process is causing instability amongst members of the community. The delay in finalising the restructuring process is creating negative effects and causing uncertainty and affecting the morale of members. Moreover, members of the community are still grappling with the transitional issues such as roles of new leadership and terminology like domestic and foreign branches, integration of IT systems and the finalisation of the outstanding legislation that will give effect to the new entity, SSA.
Chairperson, like everywhere else, restructuring causes uneasiness and an element of panic within an organisation as it affects employees' job security. In most instances, it leads to an industrial action by those affected. However, subsection 21(1) of the Intelligence Services Act, Act 65 of 2002, states that "no member of the intelligence services or the academy may strike or induce or conspire with any other member to strike". We must appreciate the environment in which the intelligence officers work. It is labour intensive, with often a shortage of critical skills needed to ensure efficient and effective response to national security matters.
The last thing we need is a community that resort to devious means, by selling sensitive and secret information to those with ulterior motives, to vent their frustrations. We do not want to see the leaking of information as we have observed happening recently in the crime intelligence environment. The Intelligence Services Council on Condition of Service, ISC, must effectively perform its functions as set out in section 22(3) of Act 65 of 2002. The staff council must be informed about the restructuring process as employees representing a structure established in terms of Regulation 11 of Chapter XVI of the Intelligence Services Regulations, 2003.
Therefore this process of restructuring the civilian intelligence services must not be seen to be regressing. Constant reassurance by the Minister that members' jobs are secure is important. Members should be updated timeously, through the relevant communication channels, on the status of the reorganisation.
In February 2011 the President, in his state of the nation address, emphasised the need for job creation. We hope that the restructuring in the intelligence services will not lead to job losses, but that there will be room for job creation in the process. I support the Budget Vote. Thank you. [Applause.]