Question NW3106 to the Minister in the Presidency
17 November 2022 - NW3106
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 |