State of disaster mondli Gungubele

Minister in the Presidency Mondli Gungubele. Photo: GCIS

President Ramaphosa entrusts Gungubele with State Security Agency

Minister in the Presidency Mondli Gungubele was given ‘political responsibility for the control and direction of the SSA’ on Monday.

State of disaster mondli Gungubele

Minister in the Presidency Mondli Gungubele. Photo: GCIS

President Cyril Ramaphosa announced that Minister in the Presidency Mondli Gungubele is now responsible for the control and direction of the State Security Agency (SSA) on Monday, 17 January.

GUNGUBELE NEW INTELLIGENCE BOSS

Ramaphosa announced that the Ministry of State Security would fall away on 5 August 2021 and the political responsibility for the SSA would reside in the presidency.

It was one of the major announcements when the president reshuffled his cabinet in the wake of the July unrest, in which at least 342 people were killed.

“Section 209(2) of the Constitution, which addresses governance of intelligence services, empowers the President to assume political responsibility for intelligence services other than those of the police or national defence force, or to designate a member of Cabinet to assume this responsibility,” said the Presidency in a statement on Monday.

While Gungubele, who was involved in a hostage drama in October, assumes his new position, the Deputy Minister in the Presidency – Zizi Kodwa – will continue to serve in his current role.

Ramaphosa’s August announcement was met by criticism. According to SABC News, the Democratic Alliance (DA) Shadow Minister of State Security, Diane Kohler Barnard, said moving the Agency into the Presidency would not appease the public.

“Will there come a time when our rights become politically inconvenient and labelled a threat? This is a real possibility now the President has claimed that there are other countries that place intelligence directly under the head of the country.

“ We will be asking him which countries are those, we can’t be seen to be putting the risk of the country to be used,” said the DA MP.