Minister in the Presidency Khumbudzo Ntshavheni delivered a detailed briefing to the National Council of Provinces (NCOP) on 13 May 2025, outlining the restructuring of the State Security Agency (SSA) and broader efforts to restore the agency’s capacity, credibility, and compliance with constitutional oversight mechanisms. The presentation comes against a backdrop of past politicisation and factionalism within the intelligence services, as flagged in the Zondo Commission and High-Level Review Panel reports.
Responding to a series of questions from NCOP members, Minister Ntshavheni stated that the SSA had completed a full-scale internal skills audit to assess personnel competencies. “The skills audit has helped to clarify the skills and competency gaps within the agency,” she said. “It has supported the need for a skills refresh through both training and retraining, voluntary service packages, and alternative redeployment.”
The audit, she explained, was followed by the implementation of training programmes targeting core capabilities, including data science, cyber analysis, and intelligence tradecraft. “We need skills in data science and related fields. The recruitment process will close those gaps,” she noted, adding that career-pathing and succession planning frameworks were being finalised to support longer-term professional development.
Ntshavheni confirmed that with the General Intelligence Laws Amendment Bill (GILAB) being signed into law, the road has been paved for the structural separation of domestic and foreign intelligence branches within the SSA. However, she stressed that the two new entities were not yet operational. “They will only start to operate on the day that will be proclaimed by the President,” she said. “We are working to ensure that all necessary regulations are in place before the proclamation to mitigate risk and ensure accountability.”
She emphasised that while the agency is undergoing reconfiguration, it is not being dismantled, “There is neither a dissolution of existing structures nor the establishment of new entities, but an organisational reconfiguration of the SSA to enhance operational, strategic, and organisational efficiency.”
This process, she said, had been benchmarked against international best practices. “A team was appointed to study global intelligence models, and we were fortunate that this benchmarking work was completed before the amendment bill was finalised.”
In response to concerns over transparency and past political interference, the Minister reiterated that oversight of the intelligence sector remains with the Joint Standing Committee on Intelligence (JSCI) and the Inspector-General of Intelligence. “The JSCI has completed an induction at the SSA head office, and feedback indicates satisfaction with the level of disclosure,” she said. “We are also finalising internal regulations that will govern accountability and performance.”
When pressed about internal resistance to change, Ntshavheni acknowledged the challenge but stated that steps were being taken to address it. “We’ve appointed a dedicated change management officer to engage with staff and management,” she explained. “Management swaps have also been introduced to prevent the perception of purges, and we are using alternative deployment mechanisms so staff do not feel discarded but rather repurposed.”
She reported improved cooperation from within the agency, particularly among junior ranks: “Intelligence officers below management level have been very supportive of the changes, especially those recommended by the Zondo Commission and High-Level Review Panel.”
The Minister clarified that the SSA does not have arrest powers but contributes by collecting and sharing intelligence with law enforcement. “Our duty is to identify and profile syndicates so that the police do not just shoot in the dark,” she said. “We hand over what we gather to SAPS and other agencies.”
SSA, she explained, participates in the National Priority Crimes Operational Committee (NPCOC) and is part of the team developing a national integrated strategy to combat transnational organised crime. The strategy is expected to be finalised by September 2025.
She also confirmed that SSA is working closely with the Financial Intelligence Centre (FIC), the Financial Sector Conduct Authority, the Reserve Bank, and the banking industry to address money laundering, suspicious transactions, and criminal use of crypto-assets. “We have a solid working relationship in this environment,” she said.
Ntshavheni stated that SSA is actively monitoring political movements and support groups, both foreign and domestic, that may pose a risk to national security. “We are vigilant against disinformation campaigns, cyber operations, and ideological influences that could destabilise public trust in democratic institutions,” she said.
When asked about the spread of narratives that allegedly incite racial division or foreign intervention, she confirmed that “law enforcement agencies are investigating acts of treason relating to false information being spread internationally.” She acknowledged the need for better regulation of civil society organisations while affirming that constitutional freedoms would be respected. “The transformation of governance frameworks will not infringe on civil liberties but will strengthen oversight of nonprofit organisations,” she said.
Concluding her remarks, the Minister said that many of the reforms aim to institutionalise accountability mechanisms. “We are working to ensure that governance improvements are not tied to a particular minister but embedded within the system,” she stated. “People who hold the appropriate skills do not owe their position to anyone, and that helps depoliticise the agency.”
The Minister also highlighted the importance of performance management frameworks and regulatory clarity: “Accountability will no longer depend on favours. It will be guided by regulations and operational directives that bring certainty to how intelligence work is executed.”
While noting that reform is ongoing, she affirmed that capacity exists within the SSA to support current operations: “We are not yet where we want to be, but we are on track.”
