Can a nation state be what it aspires to be without an effective intelligence service that collects and analyses secret information that enables its leaders to make better informed decisions? I think not, if I may quote what Mr Ronnie Kasrils once said.
George Smiley once asked when he spoke to a group of newly recruited officers:-
"Why spy... for as long as rookies become leaders we shall spy. For as long as there are bullies and ... madmen in the world... for as long as nations compete ... politicians deceive... your chosen profession is secure."
I agree in what Mr Kasrils further said. "The need for intelligence has in fact existed since the dawn of time and the origins of the profession can be traced back to the Old Testament as evidenced by the reference to Moses dispatching his spies across the River Jordan to bring back reports about the land of Canaan.
As human societies evolved growing ever more complex and interdependent in their interactions with each other so the need for intelligence grew as leaders across the centuries increasingly relied upon the skills of their spies to advise them of threats to their vital interests.
Developments illustrate how intelligence was viewed as an indispensable adjunct to state craft, which intimately gave rise to the establishment of specialized intelligence services with both national and international reach. These remain a permanent feature of nation states today. Given the threats in our unpredictable global world that knows no borders we cannot afford to discard this age-old craft.
We must collect and analyse unique information, most often under the cloak of secrecy in order to ensure that security of our state, our people and the country. No responsible government can allow the neglect of his intelligence services.
Mr Chairman, I am not convinced that we are not doing just that? And I will come back to this point.
The Constitution, by providing for the establishment of the intelligence services, recognize their importance and necessity in building a society based on democratic values, social justice and fundamental rights. in so doing, it envisions them as a credible force for good in protecting the state, its citizens and the democratic order according to the intelligence services special powers and capabilities for that purpose.
Yet these powers and capabilities are by no means unfettered, and whatever fears and misgivings some might have about the intelligence services, our Constitutional imperatives provide for powerful checks and balances.
In this regard, the Constitution, Chapter 11, section 198, 209 and 210, clearly spells out the key principles and directives for the intelligence services.
It sets out their noble purpose by providing that National Security must reflect the resolve of South Africans, as individuals and as a nation, to live as equals, to live in peace and harmony, to be free from fear and want and to seek a better life (Chapter 11. Section 98(a)).
It declares that they are bound by the law including International law - where no member may obey a manifestly illegal order. It requires them to secure this legitimate conduct by example and by leading all members to act in accordance with the Constitution and the law.
It reinforces the need to ensure that they exercise non-partisanship in discharging their mandate, which must be carried out in the national interest of all our people - irrespective of colour, creed or party affiliation - prohibiting members from undertaking their functions in a manner that either prejudges or furthers the interest of any political party.
It asserts that they cannot operate in isolation, as they are subject and accountable to oversight, control and authority of Parliament and the national executive. It requires them to be established and regulated by national law, which must elaborate on their mandate, powers and functions, stipulating that the law must also set out the mechanisms for civilian oversight, control and monitoring of their activities.

Mr Chairperson: If all of us here today present would just think for a moment what I have said, then all will agree that what I have said is very clearly defined and stated in my party the Democratic Alliance Manifesto for 2009 namely that we stand for an Open Opportunity Society and that we will under all circumstances protect and defend our Constitution at all costs.
Further Mr Chairperson, it is not only our high sounding principles, that define the role and function of our intelligence services, but we have put in place oversight bodies to enforce the necessary Parliamentary and public control. In fact only a handful of countries are not as elaborate as us in their control framework and transparency. Incidentally it should be noted that many intelligence services around the world still reside under the authority of the military other than under more transparent, accountable civilian control.
The White Paper on Intelligence (1994), the National Strategic Intelligence Act (1994) and the Intelligence Service Act (2002) establish the guidelines and regulate the activities of the intelligence services, providing the framework for effective Control and oversight. This is further reinforced by the Intelligence Services Oversight Act (1994), through the establishment of the Office of the Inspector General of Intelligence and the Parliamentary Joint Standing Committee on Intelligence (RSCI), provided for in the Constitution.
The Joint Standing Committee on Intelligence is a creation of the elected representatives of the people to ensure that our Intelligence Services can enjoy the trust of all South Africans. It is a vigorous oversight that ensures that the secrecy that our Services need is not abuse but utilized to protect one of the key challenges of the Parliamentary oversight to strengthen the confidence and mobilize the community support for our Intelligence Services.
Intelligence oversight is conducted under conditions of changing global threats, particularly in reaction to what is happening internationally. This has generally resulted in granting more power to intelligence agencies to deal with these threats in most parts of the world.
This Mr Chairperson brings me back to the statement that I have made earlier, namely
" No responsible government can allow the neglect of his Intelligence Services, and I further said. - " I am not convinced that we are not doing just that,
Meaning that I am of the opinion that we are neglecting our Intelligence Services to a great extent and that they are not getting the recognition they deserve.
Meneer die Voorsitter ek is een van die bevoorregtes om deel te mag wees van die Gesamentlike Staande Komitee vir Intelligensie en het gister die voorreg gehad om die Minister te ontmoet en al die hoofde van die verskillende dienste van ons intelligensie diens.
Dit was vir my opmerklik met watter passie van toegewydheid en verantwoordelikheid hulle, hulle self aan die nuwe komitee lede om voorstel het en watter groot ontsag hulle in die Voorsitter van die Komitee en die Komitee het.
Dit egter beteken nie dat alles wel is nie. Ek is van mening dat ten spyte van die feit dat ek ‘n voorstander is dat daar op die vlak van intelligensie gespesifiseer moet word, wat die geval is, maar dat die verskeie agente nouer met mekaar behoort saam te werk om moontlike duplisering te voorkom.
Daar was egter weens die beperking van tyd, nie voldoende tyd gewees om elke agent se begroting te bespreek nie. Wat egter opvallend was, is dat die Nationale Intelligensie Agent se begroting vir die finasiele jaar 2009/10 wat meer as R72 miljoen minder is as die vorige jaar 2008/2009, met in ag genome dat die 2010 Wêreld Beker Sokker in ‘n paar maande weg is . ‘n Tyd wat ons hand deur- middel van ons Intelligensie diens paraat moet wees, want dit is juis in tye van sulke groot byeenkomste waar mens oor die Wêreld heen na Suid- Afrika gaan kom dat ons nie kan bekostig dat ons onkant gevang word nie. En dat daar nie verwag kan word dat die huidige ekonomiese toestand van Wêreld wye reses die rede is dat daar op die begroting van Intelligensie Dienste gesny moes word nie.
Want met die aankondiging van die begroting in Februarie vanjaar het die Minister van Finansies nog nie ontken dat ons hand in ‘n reses is. Dit wys vir my daarop dat op daardie stadium die belangrikheid van ons Intelligensie Dienste nie deur die Minister van Finansies erken is nie.
Mnr die Voorsitter, indien ek sou sê dat daar niks is waaroor ek bekommerd is, wat die Gesamentlike Staande Komitee van Intelligensie betref, dan sal ek my plig versuim, en sal ek ontrou wees en my verantwoordelikhede en sal ek myself verloon.
Daar is onder andere drie aspekte van die Gesamentlike Staande Komitee van Intelligensie wat my diep bekommer maak.
Die eerste een is die feit dat die ondersoek na die Komitee en onderhoude eers werklik die afgelope week gedoen is. Dit het veroorsaak dat die onderskeie agente soos onder andere die NIA eers Maandag 29 June 2009, kennis gekry het van gister se vergadering.
Wanneer in ag geneem word dat die Parlement reeds op 6 Mei 2009, geopen het en dat die proses rakende die Komitee lede eers na meer as ses weke in aanvang geneem het, dui vir my daarop dat die proses nie met verantwoordelikheid bestuur is nie. Verder beklemtoon dit vir my dat die waarde van die Komitee totaal en al onderskat word. Na my mening is die Gesamendlike Staande Komitee van Intelligensie seker die Komitee wat verantwoodelik is vir die audit van ons land en sy mense se veiligheid en dus ‘n groot rol speel in die sukses van die Demokratiese Alliansie se Oop Geleentheidsamelewing en die verdediging en behoud van ons land se grondwet.
Artikel 6 van die Intelligensie Dienste Oorsig Wet 40 van 1994, bepaal dat die Gesamentlike Staande Komitee van Intelligensie jaarliks ‘n verslag oor die werksaamhede van die Komitee aan die Parlement moet voorlê. Die laaste beskikbare jaarverslag dateer 2004/2005. Dit was gedoen onder voorsitterskap van die destydse Voorsitter wat vandag ons Agbare Minister is. Volgens inligting is die laaste twee jaar se verslae onderweg van die Komitee na die President wat dit eers moet goedkeur alvorens dit gepubliseer kan word.
Ek is verseker dat die proses dringend ondersoek en reggestel moet word. Dit geld ook vir die auditeurs verslag. Die twee dokumente is onder andere die belangrike verslae wat die publiek nodig het om verseker te wees dat daar na hulle en die land se binne en internasionale veiligheid gekyk word.
Ek sê weer dit wil vir my voorkom as of die aktiwiteite en suksesse van die Nasionale Intelligensie Agent en die van sy vennote nie hoë prioriteite geniet nie.
Members will recall that in 2004 a pledge was made to build a professional, effective, accountable intelligence service that South Africa requires to meet the complex security threats of the 21st century.
The need for professionalism has become all the more apparent in recent years where intelligence services internationally have had their fair share of mishaps, failures and abuse.
Intelligence services utility is expressly dependent on our professionalism and the extent to which we are able to recognize and deal with problems, correct weaknesses and rule out any abuse.
Another concern which is referred to over & over again, is the vetting of personal in certain positions of all three tiers of government. There is no sense in to only vetting a person a year after his or her appointment in a position where vetting is required prior to a persons appointment.
Mr Chairperson in conclusion,
Personal safety is an imperative for an Open Opportunity Society for all. Yet South Africa is trapped in a web of terror caused by crime. Many lives have been lost. Many of us have been deeply traumatized. We have become suspicious of fellow citizens and distrusting of the institutions that are supposed to keep us safe.
We will all agree that crime is crime whether it is rape, or organized crime or self enrichment in protecting someone who had committed a crime. With the lack of annual reports over the last few years I am curious to see what was the Intelligence Services report on the Selebi case and on the arms deal.
Intelligence, by its very nature cannot be the subject of efficient and transparent if party politics play any significant role.
Thank you Mr Chairperson