Please clean up the State Security Agency, for the nation’s sake

One of the characteristics of intelligence organisations throughout the world is their covert nature. There are few governments who are happy with public exposure of the inner workings of these groups … even to people who are “vetted” beforehand.

So, it seems unusual that the South African government – through President Cyril Ramaphosa – should appoint a review panel to scrutinise the activities of the State Security Agency (SSA).

However, when you realise that under Ramaphosa’s predecessor, Jacob Zuma, the country’s intelligence assets and resources were turned into his private tool for settling political scores, weakening opponents and avoiding the legal consequences of his actions, the move make sense.

The SSA and the Crime Intelligence unit of the police were so compromised during those years – through Zuma’s deployment of his loyalists and their work doing his bidding – that the national security of South Africa can only have been harmed.

The lack of effective crime intelligence is evident in rampant criminality – and in particular in cash-in-transit heists – so we wonder what the SSA will have neglected during the Zuma years. Are we a safe haven for international terrorists, for example?

Never again must these powerful security weapons be abused for the personal gains of politicians.

For more news your way, follow The Citizen on Facebook and Twitter.