Reverend Frank Chikane shortlisted for intelligence watchdog post

Reverend Frank Chikane has been shortlisted as one of the frontrunners for the position of the Inspector-General of Intelligence (IGI).

The announcement was made on Tuesday by the chairperson of Parliament’s joint standing committee on intelligence, Jerome Maake.

Chikane, who served as the director-general in the Presidency under former president Thabo Mbeki, is among 10 candidates vying for the position of heading the country’s intelligence watchdog after two of the shortlisted candidates officially withdrew from the process for various reasons.

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The former head of the State Security Agency’s (SSA’s) domestic branch, advocate Mahlodi Sam Muofhe, and Nakampe Michael Masiapato were the two candidates who withdrew their candidacy.

The IGI is tasked with monitoring intelligence and counter-intelligence activities of the SSA and the intelligence divisions of the South African Police Service (Saps) and the South African National Defence Force (SANDF).

The following candidates have been shortlisted for the IGI position:

1. Reverend Frank Chikane
2. Outgoing IGI Setlhomamaru Isaac Dintwe
3. Nomsa Evelyn Dlamini
4. Imtiaz Ahmed Fazel
5. Brigadier-General Phumzile Fongoqa
6. Advocate Jayashree Govender
7. Smanga Phillip Jele
8. Faith Mosa Makhobotloane
9. Mampogoane Petrus Nchabaleng
10. Nyelisani Clarence Tshitereke.

Maake reiterated that no candidates had been nominated for the position of the IGI at this stage. He said all the candidates applied for the position when it was advertised on newspapers and on other platforms.

“A nomination takes place after an interview process and when the committee has submitted the nominated candidate to the National Assembly for approval by a resolution supported by at least two-thirds of its members.

“The approved candidate is then appointed by the President of the Republic as the IGI in terms of section 7(1) of the Intelligence Services Oversight Act 40 of 1994 (the Act),” Maake said in a statement

Members of the public and all interested parties were invited to submit their comments on the shortlisted candidates to the committee for its consideration before 5 January 2022.

Comments should be submitted to Alutho Sombexe at asombexe@parliament.gov.za.

Compiled by Thapelo Lekabe