Imtiaz Fazel. (SAGovNews, Twitter)
President Cyril Ramaphosa has confirmed the appointment of Imtiaz Fazel, the current deputy director general of home affairs, as the new inspector general of intelligence (IGI).
Fazel, who was nominated unanimously by parliament in September with the support of 334 MPs and no abstentions, takes up the post, which exercises oversight on the three wings of the intelligence service, from 1 November.
Fazel, who had previously served as chief operating officer at the IGI between 2004 to 2012 after two years acting in the post, replaces Setlhomamaru Issac Dintwe, whose contract expired in March.
Presidency spokesperson Vincent Magwenya said in a statement on Monday morning that Ramaphosa had appointed Fazel on parliament’s recommendations to serve as the IGI for five years.
Fazel will monitor and review the operations of the State Security Agency (SSA), the South African National Defence Force’s Defence Intelligence Division and the Crime Intelligence division of the South African Police Service.
Magwenya said the appointment of Fazel was “a continuation of the attention president Ramaphosa is giving to strengthening the capability of the state, including the security sector”.
Fazel has extensive experience in the intelligence sector, having also served as a former deputy director general at the SSA and as a ministerial adviser on intelligence.
At the public works department, Fazel was responsible for the investigation into the R40-million Beitbridge border fence, which was found to be below specification and did not serve its purpose of preventing illegal crossings of the international boundary between South Africa and Zimbabwe.
Magwenya said Ramaphosa wished Fazel well in his new post, which was a “critical function” and which “contributes to making the country and the world a safer place and advancing the country’s national interest”.
Fazel was nominated by parliament after the first choice candidate shortlisted from 25 applicants by the joint standing committee of intelligence, former director general in the presidency Frank Chikane, was rejected by the house in June.
Dintwe told the commission his security clearance had been withdrawn by then state security director general Arthur Fraser in March 2018 after he had initiated an investigation into Fraser’s Principal Agent Network (PAN).
The IGI’s position had previously been unoccupied for almost two years ahead of the appointment of Dintwe — who gave extensive evidence on the abuse of the intelligence services at the Zondo commission into state capture during 2021 — as the ANC’s choice of candidate, Cecil Burgess, failed to get the support of opposition parties.
The role in the intelligence community was introduced by the democratic government in 1994 as part of the process of creating a new intelligence services and integrating those of the liberation movement and the apartheid state.
The first IGI, Lewis Skweyiya, served until 2000, when he was replaced with Fazel Randera, who served until 2002.
The post remained vacant until 2004, when Zola Ngcakani was appointed as IGI, with the office being occupied by Faith Radebe, after he completed his term.