/ 2 August 2013

Cwele announces new appointments in intelligence

Cwele Announces New Appointments In Intelligence

"After a long, meaningful process of engagement, we are pleased to announce that we have successfully completed this phase of our work," Cwele told journalists in Pretoria on Friday.

"We have successfully completed the restructuring process and passed the legislation that provides for a new dispensation of the State Security Agency [SSA]."

Dlomo is currently advisor to Cwele and also acting director general of the SSA. He is also a former deputy co-ordinator of National Intelligence Coordination Committee.

Cwele also announced seven other new appointments:

  • Ambassador to Egypt Gladys Sonto Kudjoe had been appointed SSA director general;
  • Acting director in the foreign branch, Simon Ntombela, was appointed director of the domestic branch of the SSA; and
  • Dr Batandwa Siswana was appointed director of the foreign branch of the SSA.

Siswana is currently chief operations officer in the presidency. He is also the deputy secretary of Cabinet.

Other appointments in the domestic branch of the SSA included Nozuko Bam and Thulani Dlomo as deputy directors general for domestic collection and counter-intelligence respectively.

In the foreign branch, Joyce Mashele was appointed deputy director general for collection, Africa, while Matshidiso Mhlambo was appointed deputy director general for the rest of the world.

Cwele said none of the new appointees had criminal records.

"All of them still have valid security clearance. All due processes and selection procedures were followed."

The new appointments followed a transformation project of the country's intelligence, announced in 2009, Cwele said. – Sapa