A tussle for control is holding up integration of the intelligence services, reports Chris Louw
EFFORTS to integrate South Africa’s 12 officially recognised intelligence networks ran aground this week when deputy president FW de Klerk refused to relinquish executive control.
De Klerk was put in charge of the intelligence services as part of the pre-election horse-trading when the NP was not granted the Defence portfolio he wanted.
A tussle has developed between De Klerk and ANC-appointed deputy president Thabo Mbeki about who should be in charge of the country’s intelligence network.
Both the ANC and the NP closed ranks this week, describing the issue as ”highly sensitive”. The government has been accused of being ”unnecessarily secretive” about the issue.
Two Bills allowing for the new dispensation to be put in place, facilitating the amalgamation of the various services into two new ones and placing them under parliamentary control, were discussed by the cabinet on Wednesday.
The secrecy surrounding the establishment of the two new intelligence forces originates from the Transitional Executive Council (TEC)-appointed intelligence subcouncil, which consisted primarily of NP and ANC representatives. Unlike other TEC subcouncils, the work of the intelligence subcouncil was never disclosed.
Negotiations have since taken place in almost farcical secrecy — to the degree that when the parliamentary standing committees were announced earlier this month, the intelligence committee was conspicuous by its absence.
Parties not included in the negotiations, including the Inkatha Freedom Party, are now objecting to their total exclusion. ”We do not even know where the Bills originated from,” complained IFP senator Phillip Powell – – admitting, however, that his party was now ”reaping the whirlwind of our non-participation in the TEC”.
Although it was easy to talk to both ANC and official intelligence sources, the veil of secrecy was maintained. ”It is in our nature as ‘spooks’ not to divulge information,” said an intelligence source.
It is understood, however, that the Bills discussed at Wednesday’s meeting provide for the amalgamation of all intelligence agencies — including those of the former homelands and the ANC — into the two new agencies, one internal and one external.
A military expert said the two new agencies would be known as the South African Secret Service.
It was expected that the Bills would get cabinet approval this week and that they would be tabled in the national assembly before parliament goes into recess on September 20.
But ANC sources indicated that reallocating portfolios was ”more complicated than originally thought”. Although President Nelson Mandela as head of state is commander of the Defence Force, Section 88 (5) of the transitional constitution determines that portfolios must be allocated ”in the spirit underlying the concept of national unity”.
The president ”and other functionaries” must endeavour to achieve consensus at all times.
De Klerk’s refusal to relinquish the intelligence portfolio has thwarted efforts by Mandela to appoint former ANC department of intelligence and security (DIS) chief Joe Nhlanhla as deputy minister in the president’s office responsible for intelligence.
The appointment was expected to be made at the beginning of Aug-ust and Nhlanhla resigned from his ANC position in anticipation. No announcement was made, however.
The tussle goes beyond the cabinet, with both ANC members and intelligence officers vying for top positions. It is understood that a compromise has been reached allowing for two directors-general of intelligence. Mooted for the posts are former National Intelligence Service (NIS) head Mike Louw and DIS officials Mo Sheik and Billy Masetla.
The ANC’s Lindiwe Sisulu will head the intelligence standing committee. Provision for the committee is made in one of the Bills discussed by the cabinet. It will enjoy more power than most of the present standing committees, both in monitoring authority and in ability to scrutinise intelligence budgets.
Sandy Africa, who is linked to the Military Research Group and has made an input into the Bills, said the secrecy surrounding intelligence was ”inexcusable”.
A media liaison committee, consisting of the Heads of Civilians Services, was recently established to keep the press abreast of developments, but so far it has failed to provide any information. Represented in the committee are the heads of NIS, DIS and the former Venda, Bophuthatswana and Transkei intelligence agencies.
There is a cabinet Committee for Security and Intelligence, consisting of Dullah Omar (Justice), Alfred Nzo (Foreign Affairs), Mangosuthu Buthelezi (Home Affairs), Derek Keys (Finance), Joe Modise (Defence), Kader Asmal (Water Affairs and Forestry), Sidney Mufamadi (Safety and Security) and Sipho Mzimela (Correctional Services).
A meeting is planned in Cape Town next week to look at the consequences once the Bills are approved.