The Minister in the Presidency responsible for State Security, Mondli Gungubele, has restated the commitment of the State Security Agency (SSA) to uproot corruption.
Responding to a series of media reports about alleged incidents of fraud, corruption and malfeasance, Gungubele said the agency was cognisant of the seriousness of the issues raised in both the High Level Review Panel on State Security and the July unrest reports, which all point to some weaknesses and gaps in the manner in which the agency conducts its business.
Gungubele said these incidents of wrong-doing in the main are as a result of such weaknesses, as identified in the two recent reports. He said the SSA is steadfast in the implementation of recommendations to ensure that such misconduct does not recur.
"We have noted with some deep concern, the number of media reports about the alleged corruption in the agency and we want to assure South African citizens that we share their disdain against such conduct.
"We are spending sleepless nights in our attempts to uncover these malpractices and we are confident that we will win this war and return the Agency to its former glory,” he said.
He said the work of the forensic investigation team, in partnership with the NPA's Investigative Directorate, is underway and gaining momentum by the day.
"We are encouraged by the progress we are making... Just recently, we have dismissed no less than four officials on account of fraud, corruption and misconduct and we expect to do more," Gungubele said.
He reassured the nation that such efforts by the SSA are all meant to restore its image, which has been compromised by such acts of corruption and misconduct.
"We are determined to restore our image and to turn this place around to serve the needs and interests of our citizens.
“We have a constitutional mandate to safeguard the territorial integrity of this country and to protect its citizens. We cannot do that if we continue with the kind of misconduct that has been described in the media and elsewhere,” Gungubele said. – SAnews.gov.za
