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Date : 04/10/2004
Source: Ministry of Intelligence Services
Title: R Kasrils: National Security Conference


ADDRESS BY MR R KASRILS, THE HONOURABLE MINISTER FOR INTELLIGENCE SERVICES, TO THE NATIONAL SECURITY CONFERENCE, 4 October 2004

THEME OF CONFERENCE: "REVIEWING NATIONAL SECURITY AFTER 10 YEARS OF DEMOCRACY"

South Africa's democratisation and re-entry onto the world stage informed our conception of the role of intelligence. This process was focussed on new values of participatory democracy, reconciliation, an open and transparent society and greater accountability.

The history of intelligence in South Africa had a chequered past as was clearly demonstrated during the hearings of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission.

However, the positive contribution of the intelligence community in bringing about a new democratic dispensation in South Africa has to be acknowledged.

Many of these activities and processes still remain unknown to the majority of South Africans.

The adoption of our democratic and human rights based Constitution heralded the establishment of an intelligence dispensation that was qualitatively different from everything that had existed before. The Constitution made specific and exclusive provision for the establishment of (the then yet to be determined) civilian intelligence organisations, under the authority of the President.

Legislation made provision for the establishment of two civilian intelligence services, the National Intelligence Agency (NIA) and the South African Secret Service (SASS). It made provision for the establishment of the National Intelligence Coordinating Committee (NICOC), and a supervisory and policy generating body, the Ministry for Intelligence Services. In order to ensure that intelligence acts in a manner that is non-partisan and within the Constitutional and legal framework, provision was also made for the appointment of an Inspector General for Intelligence, with an oversight role. The governing principles for the Intelligence services are articulated in Chapter 11, Section 198 of the Constitution and are as follows:

* 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.

* The resolve to live in peace and harmony precludes any South African citizen from participating in armed conflict, nationally or internationally, except as provided for in terms of the Constitution or national legislation.

* National security must be pursued in compliance with the law, including international law.

National security is subject to the authority of Parliament and the national executive.

The last ten years of our history, we focused on the principles, amalgamation process, development of new policies and regulations.

Given the challenges posed by globalisation we need to start developing and focusing on the new challenges for the 21st century.

We need to build on gains made and focus the community in terms of improving cooperation, enhancing synergy and building different and new sets of partnership.

To this end I stated in my speech to Parliament ten priorities that indicate the present issues that are at the top of the intelligence community's agenda.

Ten priorities for action

1. the optimum utilisation of resources, ensuring sufficient funds are allocated to core business and the necessary adjustment in personnel, operating and capital allocation.

2. the targeted recruitment, training and strategic placement of members;

3. the improved operational capacity in the provinces and abroad;

4. deepening synergy with regard to intelligence sharing and coordination between all Services, including crime, defence and finance;

5. enhancement of NICOC's strategic analytical skills, national intelligence estimates and the National Early Warning Centre;

6. developing intelligence cooperation in Africa and with our international partners with a focus on conflict prone areas of our continent;

7. strengthening security at our ports of entry;

8. fully implementing the Minimum Information Security Standards (MISS) within all government departments;

9. the projected development and costing of the Intelligence Academy, its syllabus and training commitments and its future;

10. and comprehensive improvements in our vetting capacity.

However, it must be indicated that national security is a much broader concept than only the present priorities, and that it is not only the responsibility of the intelligence community, or even the broader security establishment, to deal with these matters. The current definition of national security is "freedom from fear and want".

In fact, security affects the daily lives of each and every South African, especially if we keep in mind that 'to be secure' actually means to be free from danger, threat or uncertainty, all common human needs. It therefore foregrounds the need to involve broader participation of society in crafting the meaning of the concept.

The timing of this conference to coincide with the 10 year celebration of democracy is thus critical the onset of democracy did not negate the need for security; it simply refocused it on to those issues that are of critical importance to the majority of ordinary South Africans.

National security should also be understood in the context of regional and continental developments, Africa's efforts with regard to the African Union, NEPAD and the Pan African Parliament.

I express the hope that the conference will create increased understanding and awareness for matters such as the money spent on intelligence services, the weapons acquisition programme, South Africa's support for peace missions in Africa.

Security is not a static matter, and that the dynamics of the domestic and international environment emphasises the need for this type of conference to become an annual institution.

Two further factors necessitate the holding of this conference:

1) South Africa's attempts to define a unique national security framework; and 2) The continued presence of 'hard' security matters international terrorism, organised crime, weapons smuggling and weapons of mass destruction, border issues, drug trafficking, people smuggling.

Although the conference will therefore adopt a broad perspective on potential security dimensions, it should always be kept in mind that we are part of a globalising and to some extent already globalised world, wherein no country or individual, no matter ho remote, remains unaffected by security related developments.

I captured many of these realities in my budget vote speech, and I think it could be worthwhile to recapture some of the essential statements made in that speech, as quoted below:

Challenges of today's world:

The security threats of the new century are very different from those of the old. They pose new challenges, for which a new approach is required. The polarised world order of the Cold War era has given way to more uncertainty and unpredictability. The globalisation of the world economy, communications and technology, places us in an ever shrinking world. At the same time there is relentless pressure on resources such as energy, water, minerals, fertile land and food, leading to increased competition and potential for conflict. This trend may be exacerbated by deepening ethnic, religious and ideological differences, intolerance and a different kind of polarisation. This is not a passing phase, it is here to stay. It affects everyone, especially a new and diverse nation like South Africa, with a range of domestic challenges and wide international responsibilities, including our obligations within our region and our commitment to the African renaissance, to the African Union and New Partnership for Africa's Development (NEPAD).

Struggle for limited resources

A consequence of the struggle for limited resources such as oil has seen a century of instability in the Middle East, and the cycle of intervention and resistance of which the present upheaval in Iraq is just another tragic chapter. Already attempts to destabilise West Africa are evident in the scramble by foreign interests for newly discovered oil reserves. With global long term shortages imminent, scientists are investigating the hydrogen fuel cell as an energy source. President George W Bush talks of the future "hydrogen economy". Platinum is being advanced as a possible catalyst to convert hydrogen into this new form of energy. If successful, then we in platinum rich South Africa are sitting on 86% of the new energy source of the world. Whatever the developments it is important that we take the necessary security steps to ensure stability and solidarity in our region and continent, and protect our resources for the benefit of our people.

Impact of globalisation

Globalisation can bring benefits: sharing of technology and improvements in telecommunications, ease of travel, greater scope for concerted international action to deal with poverty, natural disasters, disease, and environmental changes. But it also opens the way to terrorism, organised crime, trafficking in people and drugs, proliferation of dangerous technologies, money laundering the new global threats. Criminals and terrorists have access to the same new technology as governments, and are often better and faster at putting it to use. They are able to switch their bases of operations, benefiting from 'soft' jurisdictions, where laws are lax or ignored, where corruption is rife, where they can operate in secret. We must not fall behind in surveillance capacity, information technology or operational skills.

Global responsibilities and interests

We cannot allow states to fail, economies to collapse and conflict to occur unchecked. This is not just because we have a moral responsibility to help others, but because these are a breeding ground for threats to the wider world, including South Africa and Africa.

The main challenges we as South African intelligence face in the 21st century:

* " Maintaining the fine balance between secrecy and the constitutional rights and responsibilities f our citizens
* " Improving our ability to understand new national security challenges on the technological and resource terrains
*

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