The decision by the deputy director general of the National Intelligence Agency (NIA), Lizo Njenje, to resign in exchange for the withdrawal of his court action against Minister of Intelligence Ronnie Kasrils — to fight his suspension — was sinister, the Democratic Alliance’s Paul Swart said on Monday.
This follows a statement from the ministry that Njenje had informed the minister of his resignation as the intelligence agency’s head of operations.
”The minister is lifting his suspension and Mr Njenje will withdraw his legal proceedings against the minister,” the ministry said through spokesperson Lorna Daniels.
Swart noted that Njenje was one of three senior intelligence agency officials to be suspended after an investigation by the inspector general of intelligence found that they conducted what was termed illegal surveillance of prominent African National Congress leader and businessman Saki Macozoma.
Swart said the suspension of ”these senior officials, including the director general himself, was a very serious course of action taken by the minister and was reported as pending disciplinary action”.
”This latest decision raises questions as to either the integrity or conclusions of the inspector general’s report, or the actions by the minister himself. If Mr Njenje is suspected of being guilty of ‘illegal’ actions, or at the very least of not following prescribed policy on surveillance, surely the law or internal disciplinary procedures must take its course, and he should not be allowed to resign in order to evade being charged?
”The minister should without delay explain his decision to the joint standing committee on intelligence, and as a member [of Parliament] I shall request the committee to deal with this and the questions it raised as a matter of urgency.
”As already stated, I shall also ask questions in Parliament about the conditions of Mr Njenje’s resignation and details of any severance package this may include,” said Swart.
Swart said his party regards ”this whole matter as much more serious than just the lack of following procedures, as ‘illegal’ surveillance not only seriously impacted on the constitutional rights of individuals, but also placed the whole mandate of political intelligence within the NIA in question”.
Meanwhile, Daniels said the minister ”reiterates that he accepts the findings of the report of the inspector general of intelligence, which found that the surveillance of Mr Sakumzi Macozoma by the NIA contravened the NIA’s operational policy”.
She said the minister also accepted that Njenje ”has not been involved in any attempt or conspiracy to discredit any government minister or official”.
Daniels said: ”The minister and Mr Njenje both stress that they are parting amicably.”
Neither party will make any further comment on the matter, the ministry statement said. — I-Net Bridge