Scopa MPs accuse SSA of 'Stalingrad secrecy' after it skips meeting on vetting delays

The State Security Agency (SSA) refuses to account for delays in vetting senior government and Eskom officials.

Angry MPs on parliament’s standing committee on public accounts (Scopa) want the presidency and the agency reported to National Assembly speaker Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula and deputy president David Mabuza, in his capacity as leader of government business in parliament, for “Stalingrad secrecy”.

The SSA was scheduled to brief Scopa about a 2014 cabinet directive which requires the vetting of officials in state organs, especially those who work in supply-chain management, and Eskom officials.

But the committee heard at the start of its meeting on Wednesday that the SSA wants to report to the joint standing committee on intelligence (JSCI), whose meetings are closed to the media and public.

“We wrote to them as normal for this meeting, a confirmation was sent that the deputy minister (Zizi Kodwa) would be representing SSA and would appear before us. That was subsequently withdrawn with a letter I received yesterday indicating that the SSA will go to JSCI and that they will not report to us,” said Scopa chairperson Mkhuleko Hlengwa.

He told MPs he tried to explain to the SSA that Scopa did not want information about its finances because it understood this was a highly contested space, but that the vetting matter had a material impact on compliance of departments and entities as it was not being done.

“And the fundamental question for us is why is it not happening? They stuck to their guns and therefore that is why they are not here this morning,” Hlengwa said, adding that the agency said it had two legal opinions supporting its decision to skip the meeting.

Hlengwa said while intelligence secrecy was understood, the SSA was stretching it [by refusing to account] on basic matters which enable state machinery on combating corruption, compliance and ensuring integrity in the supply-chain management (SCM) space, in essence a cabinet resolution.

He said this was even more so, because former ministers Ayanda Dlodlo and Bongani Bongo had appeared before Scopa to talk about the matter.

Hlengwa warned that the SSA's “Stalingrad secrecy” would set a dangerous precedent if allowed, adding that condemnation of the agency's actions had to run parallel with ensuring the information Scopa wants is received.

“If the SSA is no longer an enabler in the fight against crime, then why are they there? It’s never been the case; why now is it a case?”

Scopa wants to see the legal opinion on which the SSA's decision was made and is consulting with parliament's legal services for an opinion on the agency's correspondence. The committee will consider the matter next Wednesday. 

In October 2019 Dlodlo told Scopa 100 senior Eskom officials refused to undergo the agency’s security vetting process. Two years earlier her predecessor Bongo shared similar information with the committee about state employees involved in procurement refusing to undergo such screening.

“What has changed the outlook now. They have been appearing all along on this matter and suddenly there’s a change. This will also [allow us to understand] how government is operating and how decisions are taken,” said Hlengwa.

ANC MP Sakhumzi Somyo described the SSA's decision as “unfortunate”, especially after Dlodlo described the challenges surrounding the matter.

“As a committee we oversee a number of departments which have challenges relating to financial expenditure leading to potential wastage [which impacts society].

“We identified areas on the lacklustre approach in terms of these issues and one is the matter of vetting, specifically with Eskom,” he said.

“Now there have been add-ons; parliament has been in the news [regarding the] appointment of the SABC board, where there is delay [in appointments because] vetting is not taking place.”

Parliament concluded interviews for the board in mid-September, but has been unable to finalise the process because of vetting delays.

Somyo suggested Scopa should appeal to Mapisa-Nqakula and Mabuza to intervene and ensure the SSA accounts for failure to perform its task. 

DA MP Alf Lees proposed that the presidency, including the office of minister in the presidency, Mondli Gungubele, be condemned for allowing the SSA to avoid accounting to Scopa.

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