Minister takes credit for ending xenophobic violence

Minister of State Security David Mahlobo has claimed much credit for his department’s calming the waters after the recent spate of xenophobic attacks in South Africa.

“We commend members of the intelligence community who worked with other law enforcement agencies to restore calm‚” Mahlobo told members of the parliamentary press corps on Tuesday.

He refused to divulge the size of the intelligence budget‚ and did not confirm or deny the amount of R4‚52billion listed as its budget by the national treasury in this year’s estimates of national expenditure - as published in documentation as part of Finance Minister Nhlanhla Nene’s national budget presentation earlier this year.

Mahlobo listed “non-traditional intelligence threats” in fields such as energy‚ security‚ environmental degredation (notably rhino poaching)‚ forced immigration‚ international terrorism and insurgency as important focal points of his department.