Inspector-general of intelligence Dr Setlhomamaru Dintwe has accused state security minister Ayanda Dlodlo of having pushed for the irregular appointment of 26 senior managers into the intelligence agency in the past month.

Dintwe returned to the stand at the inquiry into state capture where he testified about persistent nepotism and executive overreach by state security ministers, including Dlodlo, who ignored recommendations from the intelligence watchdog.

The State Security Agency (SSA) has, through explosive testimony before the inquiry, been smeared in allegations of massive looting of state funds running into millions of rand by senior politicians and abuse of power to target political opponents over the years. 

Dintwe said the SSA had recently appointed 26 senior managers without any due process, with some of them having alleged links to former director-general Arthur Fraser, who has been located at the heart of malfeasance at the agency.

“They do not advertise the posts, there is no selection panel, interviews and some of the people do not meet the requirements of that particular post. The deputy director-general even refused to recommend and wrote his concerns about how these people were identified,” Dintwe said.

He said some of the people had been returned from retirement and rehired without any regulatory framework relied upon. “They do not tell you about any legislation which empowers the minister to appoint but it is the minister who then appoints this group of 26. As I am talking to you, they are in their positions,” Dintwe told commission chair, deputy chief justice Raymond Zondo.

“There is a belief that they are coming back and reforming at the SSA,” Dintwe said when asked by Zondo why the 26 managers were recruited in breach of legislative instruments.

Dintwe also testified that former state security minister Bongani Bongo had also approved an irregular and unlawful appointment of a manager into the  national intelligence coordinating committee (NICOC) without due process during his stint as  minister, which Dlodlo refused to reverse after the inspector-general's office tabled its report with a recommendation as she complained that Bongo had not been interviewed.

“It was indicated to the minister that, with the evidence collected thus far, it was clear that the member concerned was irregular and unlawful and that no useful purpose was going to be served approaching the former minister and interviewing him. Since then, the minister has never reverted back to us,” Dintwe said.

Dintwe told the commission that SSA had used no criteria in placing personnel in various departments of the agency, including in its cadet scouting programme, which resulted in nepotism and as many staff members related to political figures and senior staff filled up positions.

“That is creating a serious problem because there is evidence, even in the high level review panel, which concludes that the SSA has been turned into an employment agency for the politically connected as well as those who are connected to the senior managers,” he said.

He told the commission how Free State head of crime intelligence Major-Gen Agnes Makhele openly defended nepotism before him and the inspector-general during a provincial visit and said family members were “appointed because they are trustworthy”.

“I am still shocked even today,” Dintwe said.

Dintwe said Makhele had her relative appointed  in the provincial office, while other top officials appointed their children and girlfriends.

“The reason she provided to us was to say that these children are well brought up because they are children of senior officials. I am still in disbelief that that was the reason.” 

The inquiry continues.