Today we tabled our Budget Vote and Policy Statement for the 2018/2019 financial year and set out a clear programme of action for the year ahead.

Key to our message is the need to restore the purpose and mission of our existence as a civilian intelligence service in a constitutional democracy. We acknowledge the failures in the governance and operational capacity of our agency, informed by the reflection done by HE President Cyril Ramaphosa during his State of the Nation Address on the need to restore the integrity, credibility and trust of public institutions which are charged with very critical mandates in our constitutional democracy.

We announced bold decisions which speak to the directive given by the President, guided by the Constitution on the interventions required. These include:

Ensuring that we are swift in supporting the establishment of the Review Panel announced by the President which will assess the structure of the Agency in relation to its mandate and inquire into its systems and capacity.

Ensuring that we reconstruct the Agency, arrest the rot while ensuring at the same time that corporate governance and efficiency is enhanced.

Implementing cost cutting measures without compromising service delivery while enhancing levels of accountability.

Improving our cooperation with all oversight bodies and respecting their different mandates as expressly provided for in our Constitution. This will entail, amongst others, working with the Joint Standing Committee on Intelligence to introduce legislative and regulatory amendments to strengthen independence of the office of the Inspector General of Intelligence.

Professionalising the service to ensure that there is no place for rogue elements within our intelligence services. We however wish to salute all our Members who work very hard often in difficult conditions to safeguard this country.

Strengthening financial management of the institution, particularly in relation to the management of operational funds.

These are some of the interventions we will make in our quest to restore the integrity, credibility, operational capability as well as public’s confidence in our intelligence service and the critical role to be played by the public in ensuring the safety and stability of our country and safeguarding our constitutional democracy.

Alongside this work, the Agency will continue to discharge its constitutional and lawful mandate in relation to counter intelligence measures amongst other things.

These include:

Fighting corruption which poses the most significant threat to our national security and the well-being of our people.

Support the Commission of Inquiry into State Capture which is critical in ensuring that the extent and nature of state capture is established, that confidence in public institutions is restored and that those responsible for any wrongdoing face the consequences thereof.

Assisting the Independent Electoral Commission in ensuring that its systems and procedures are free of any form of vulnerability ahead of the 2019 general elections

Working with the Justice and Criminal Security Cluster to ensure conditions of national stability and supporting work to improve the security of our border environment.

Enhancing our vetting capacity to respond to weaknesses in the state and state owned enterprises (SoEs).

Effective implementation of the National Counter-Terrorism Strategy. In this regard, will also continue the partnerships that we have established with a number of community and civil society structures as well as our international partners.

Supporting government’s foreign policy work that advances our national interests

In any democratic society, and in particular in today’s globally integrated world, intelligence has a crucial role to play in the protection of our constitutional order, the provision of forewarning on threats to our democratic rights and values and in assisting with the economic development of our country through the identification of opportunities.

We therefore wish to call on all South Africans, in the spirt of Thuma Mina, to become part of the solution in creating conditions of stability and a safe and secure country.

We should all be part of the defence of our country, South Africa!

Source: Government of South Africa