Question NW3106 to the Minister in the Presidency

Share this page:

17 November 2022 - NW3106

Profile picture: Gondwe, Dr M

Gondwe, Dr M to ask the Minister in the Presidency

(1)What is the legal and/or policy framework that provides for the compulsory security vetting of senior public servants by the State Security Agency (SSA); (2) what total number of (a) senior public servants were subjected to security vetting by the SSA in the (i) 2019-20, (ii) 2020-21 and (iii) 2021-22 financial years in each (aa) national and (bb) provincial department and (b) the specified senior public servants received a top secret security clearance from the SSA?

Reply:

1. The compulsory vetting is carried out in terms of the National Strategic Intelligence Act and the Minimum Information Security Standards:

National Strategic Intelligence Act of 1994 as amended by the General Intelligence Laws Amendments Act of 2013:

The State Security Agency is mandated by the National Strategic Intelligence Act, 1994 (Act No 39 of 1994) and Intelligence Services Act, 2002 (Act No 65 of 2002) as amended by General Intelligence Laws Amendment Act, 2013 (Act No 11 of 2013), to conduct vetting investigations to determine the security competence of a person if such a person:

• is employed by or is an applicant to an Organ of State; or

• is rendering a service or has given notice of intention to render a service to an organ of state, which service may:

  • Give him or her access to classified information and intelligence in the possession of the organ of state; or
  • Give him or her access to areas designated national key points in terms of the National Key Points Act, 1980 (Act 102 of 1980).

Minimum Information Security Standards (MISS) of 1996 as approved by Cabinet as national information security policy:

Chapter 5, Section 1.5 states the following:

Political appointees (Director-Generals, Ambassadors, etc.) will not be vetted, unless the President so requests or the relevant contract so provides. From the lowest level up to Deputy Director-General, all staff members and any other individuals who should have access to classified information, must be subjected to security vetting.

2. Vetting figures for senior civil servants

(aa) National

National Departments

i) 2019/2020

ii) 2020/2021

iii) 2021/2022

 

(a) Senior managers subjected to vetting

(b) Top Secret Clearances Issued

(a) Senior managers subjected to vetting

(b) Top Secret Clearances Issued

(a) Senior managers subjected to vetting

(b) Top secret clearances Issued

Agriculture, Land Reform and Rural Development

2

2

0

0

2

2

Basic Education

1

1

1

0

1

0

Civilian Secretariat for Police

0

0

2

2

1

1

Communications and Digital Technologies

8

6

4

3

1

0

Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs

15

1

18

1

23

0

Correctional Services

2

2

0

0

2

2

Employment and Labour

2

2

0

0

0

0

Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment 

5

5

2

2

2

2

Government Communication and Information System (GCIS)

2

2

2

0

2

2

Government Printing Works

3

3

0

0

0

0

Health

13

1

24

2

32

3

Higher Education and Training

3

3

1

1

1

0

Home Affairs

3

3

5

5

4

4

Human Settlements

14

4

20

3

24

2

Independent Police Investigative Directorate

10

3

14

0

21

2

International Relations and Cooperation

260

39

221

12

209

24

Justice and Constitutional Development

8

8

2

2

4

4

Military Veterans 

2

2

0

0

0

0

Mineral Resources and Energy 

4

4

2

2

2

2

National Treasury

60

11

49

4

45

2

Planning Monitoring and Evaluation

5

5

2

2

1

1

Public Enterprises

6

6

1

1

1

1

Public Service and Administration

4

4

1

1

0

0

Public Works and Infrastructure

2

2

1

1

0

0

SA Police Service

0

0

0

0

0

0

SA Revenue Service

32

3

29

4

25

1

Science and Innovation

1

1

1

1

1

1

Small Business Development

3

3

0

0

0

0

Social Development

1

1

2

2

1

1

Sport, Arts and Culture

2

2

0

0

0

0

State Security Agency

0

0

0

0

0

0

Telecommunications and postal services

0

0

0

0

1

1

The Presidency

33

3

30

3

27

2

Tourism

12

1

11

1

10

1

Trade, Industry and Competition

5

2

3

1

2

1

Transport

27

2

25

0

25

1

Water and Sanitation

43

1

42

2

40

0

Women, Youth and Persons with Disabilities

15

0

15

1

14

0

(bb) Provincial

Provincial Departments

i) 2019/2020

ii) 2020/2021

iii) 2021/2022

 

(a) Senior managers subjected to vetting

(b) Top secret clearances Issued

(a) Senior managers subjected to vetting

(b) Top secret clearances Issued

(a)Senior managers subjected to vetting

(b)Top secret clearances Issued

Agriculture and Rural Development

299

8

326

4

523

5

Agriculture, Land Reform and Rural Development

 

2

 

12

 

0

Agriculture, Rural Development, Land and Environmental Affairs

 

1

 

1

 

0

Arts and Culture

 

0

 

4

 

1

Community Safety (& Police Oversight) (&Security and Liaison)

 

11

 

5

 

10

Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs

 

8

 

21

 

9

Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs (& Human Settlements)

 

5

 

1

 

13

Cultural Affairs and Sport

 

1

 

0

 

0

Culture, Sport and Recreation

 

2

 

0

 

1

Economic Development

 

4

 

0

 

6

Economic Development and Tourism

 

2

 

1

 

3

Economic Development, Environmental Affairs and Tourism

 

4

 

3

 

0

Economic Development, Small Business, Tourism and Environmental Affairs

 

1

 

0

 

3

Economic Development, Tourism and Environmental Affairs

 

6

 

8

 

0

Education

 

13

 

6

 

15

e-Government

 

8

 

4

 

5

Employment and Labour

 

2

 

0

 

0

Environment Affairs and Development Planning

 

1

 

0

 

0

Finance

 

2

 

1

 

0

Health

 

0

 

0

 

1

Health

 

8

 

10

 

23

Home Affairs

 

0

 

0

 

1

Human Settlements

 

15

 

3

 

8

Infrastructure Development

 

5

 

0

 

6

Justice

 

1

 

0

 

0

Office of the Premier

 

22

 

12

 

24

Police, Roads and Transport

 

6

 

0

 

2

Provincial Legislature

 

4

 

1

 

1

Provincial Treasury

 

19

 

14

 

25

Public Works

 

0

 

9

 

1

Public Works (Roads & Infrastructure)

 

2

 

1

 

0

Public Works and Infrastructure

 

3

 

0

 

0

Roads and Transport

 

0

 

1

 

2

Rural Development and Agrarian Reform

 

0

 

0

 

1

SA Revenue Service

     

3

 

3

Safety and Liaison

 

1

 

2

 

1

Social Development

 

6

 

8

 

10

Sport and Recreation

 

0

 

1

 

0

Sport, Art and Culture

 

2

 

0

 

1

Sport, Recreation, Arts and Culture

 

3

 

4

 

6

Transport

 

2

 

11

 

4

Transport and Community Safety

 

6

 

2

 

0

Transport and Public Works

 

1

 

0

 

2

Source file