Pretoria - State Security Minister Siyabonga Cwele on Friday announced the appointment of the State Security Agency (SSA) Director General and the coordinator of intelligence for the National Intelligence Coordinator Committee (NICOC).
Gladys Sonto Kudjoe has been appointed as the DG of SSA, while Dennis Thokozani Dlomo has been appointed as the coordinator of intelligence for NICOC.
The appointments, said Cwele, were made by President Jacob Zuma in terms of powers provided for in the Constitution and in terms of the Intelligence Services Act.
“We would like to welcome this team of administrative leadership of our national civilian intelligence structure and express our confidence in their ability to discharge their duty in upholding national security and serving with dignity, honour and courage the South African public,” said Cwele at a media briefing in Pretoria.
Apart from Kudjoe and Dlomo’s appointment, Simon Jabulani Ntombela has been appointed as Director: Domestic Branch of the SSA, while Dr Batandwa Siswana was appointed as the Director: Foreign Branch of the SSA.
The new appointments were being made public so as to dispel the notion that employees of State Security were “dark-glassed and cloaked people”.
“The fact that we’re introducing these members shows that we want to take our community on board, that these are not dark-glassed people. Their business is information but they have to work with the community. We are announcing them so that people can know them because South Africans are concerned about the very same issues that they’re concerned about.
“They are not secret. It’s in our national interest that all South Africans are safe, that our Constitution and institution are stable; it is in our interest that we have a peaceful word…” said the Cwele.
Joyce Mashele was appointed as DDG: Collection, Africa, while Matshidiso Mhlambo was appointed as the DDG: General: Rest of the World.
The appointments were made with security clearances and none of those appointed had criminal records against them.
Cwele said that in 2009, an announcement on a major project of transforming the civilian intelligence community was made. This phase, said the minister, has been completed, having restructured processes and passing legislation that provides for a new dispensation of the SSA.
“This recent development pertaining to legislation allows us to proceed and make appointments in strategic and senior managerial positions,” said Cwele.
The minister was accompanied at the briefing by Police Minister Nathi Mthethwa and Minister of Justice and Constitutional Development Jeff Radebe. - SAnews.gov.za
