Ramaphosa gives Gungubele political responsibility for SSA

Minister in the Presidency Mondli Gungubele will assume the political responsibility for the State Security Agency (SSA), the Presidency has confirmed.

“President [Cyril] Ramaphosa has, in terms of Section 209(2) of the constitution, designated Minister in the Presidency Mondli Gungubele to assume political responsibility for the control and direction of the State Security Agency,” the Presidency said in a statement on Monday.

“Section 209(2) of the Constitution, which addresses governance of intelligence services, empowers the President to assume political responsibility for intelligence services other than those of the police or national defence force, or to designate a member of Cabinet to assume this responsibility,” the statement reads.

Cabinet reshuffle

The announcement comes after Ramaphosa reshuffled his Cabinet in August last year, where he revealed that the whole Ministry of State Security would be scrapped and moved into the Presidency

The Presidency has since confirmed that Zizi Kodwa will continue in his role as deputy minister of state security.

Ramaphosa’s move to scrap SSA was a result of the Justice, Crime Prevention and Security Cluster’s (JCPS’s) failure to adequately respond to the violent riots that took place between 8 and 19 July in 2021.

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The reshuffle also resulted in former SSA minister, Ayanda Dlodlo, being redeployed to her previous position as Minister of Public Service and Administration, a post she held from 2018 until 2019.

The president at the time also announced that an expert panel was to be appointed to lead an investigation into the unrest.

Sydney Mufamadi was appointed as the state security adviser.

The riots, which was ostensibly sparked by the imprisonment of former president Jacob Zuma, saw more than 330 people losing their lives and also cost government R25 billion in damages.

Insurrection

Following the violence, which took place in parts of KwaZulu-Natal and Gauteng, Ramaphosa came out boldly to label the incidents as a “failed attempted insurrection”, while also acknowledging government’s unpreparedness for the riots.

However, this was very different to the statements made by then Minister of Defence and Military Veterans Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula, who insisted that the violence had nothing to do with a coup or an insurrection.

READ MORE: SAHRC July unrest: Riots planned at ‘high political level’

Dlodlo and Police Minister Bheki Cele were also at odds over whether the South African Police Service (Saps) was provided with intelligence reports about the riots.

During an interview with eNCA in September last year, Dlodlo insisted that she carried out her duties ahead of and during the violent unrest.