Question NW441 to the Minister in the Presidency

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31 March 2022 - NW441

Profile picture: Cebekhulu, Inkosi RN

Cebekhulu, Inkosi RN to ask the Minister in the Presidency

What is the role of the State Security Agency in the Government’s efforts to combat gangsterism and organised crime, especially in (a) Cape Town, (b) Durban and (c) Johannesburg?

Reply:

The mandate of State Security Agency is to provide timely intelligence to government on domestic and foreign threats or potential threats to national security across the country, including in the three mentioned cities. Hence the SSA directed by various legislative prescripts plays a supportive role to law enforcement agencies through the provision of intelligence on threats posed by gang activities to the country’s national security with emphasis on the following:

  • The nature and extent to which gangs threaten the economy, human welfare and sovereignty.
  • The nature and extent to which gangs contribute to the manifestation of corruption.
  • The nature and extent of relationships between gangs and organised crime syndicates.
  • The efficacy and functionality of the state’s anti-gang policies and interventions.

The SSA, through the Intelligence Coordinating Committee (ICC), shares information with South African Police Service Counterintelligence for further investigation on identified or potential perpetrators to guide law enforcement on ensuring successful prosecution. Hence, the SSA supports investigations and mitigation strategies to address transnational organised and syndicated criminal activities, as well as their causal factors.

The countering strategy is to focus on the extent to which organised crime undermines good governance, sabotages the State’s economy and threatens the welfare of communities and sovereignty.

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