State Security will team up with others in the region to tackle challenges facing both South Africa and the Southern African Development Community (SADC), says State Security Minister Siyabonga Cwele.

Delivering his department’s Budget Vote in Parliament on Thursday, the minister noted that as part of the SADC region, South Africa had to deal with the challenges of illegal migration and other transnational organised crime, including human smuggling.

“We continue to work within the SADC framework together with our neighbours to collectively address this global challenge in our region. The business case for the establishment of the Border Management Agency by 2014 will be processed by the Cabinet Committee in this current financial year,” he added.

On the local front, State Security has continued integrating its intelligence technology platforms in order to improve service delivery and to reduce the turnaround time, Cwele said.

He noted that the storage capacity for the lawful intercepts has been upgraded. This has resulted in a faster and more efficient monitoring system, leading to an improvement of the delivery of lawful intercepts to law enforcement agencies.

Significant progress has also been recorded relating to the restructuring process.

“Commendable progress has been made, since last year, with regard to the restructuring, consolidation and establishment of a professional State Security Agency (SSA),” he said.

Once the restructuring had been completed, vacancies would be filled through internal transfers and external recruitment.

“In the current financial year, we will focus on reviewing the remuneration management system in order to complement the changes in the organisational structures and align with changes in employee taxation legislation and address the changing employee needs,” Cwele said.

This was expected to help in the recruitment, motivation and retention of high calibre members while also improving organisational effectiveness and the sustainable use of financial resources.

Training was of particular importance to the restructuring programme with the aim to re-skill, refocus, empower and energise employees.

“Particular attention will be placed on tradecraft as well as language training. We will establish a Centre for Foreign Intelligence Service Training while on the other hand, our members will continue to receive specialised training from our strategic partners abroad,” he noted.

The flagship Cadet Program was being reviewed in order to attract loyal, dedicated and disciplined members to the agency, he said.

This year, 150 South Africans were recruited to the agency’s college as part of a three-year plan to inject 540 new recruits.

Cwele said his ministry was in an advanced stage of developing the National Security Strategy and the National Interest Doctrine.

“The National Intelligence Coordinating Committee Team has developed a Draft National Security Strategy, following consultations with critical role players in and outside the security structures to enrich the concept.

“The Draft Strategy is to be further refined with the involvement of stakeholders, including Parliament, before it is finalised into a composite strategy document,” he explained.
Efforts to ensure closer cooperation between veterans and the State Security Agency were on-going, the minister added.

“We have completed the draft constitution for a State Security Veterans Association, which will enable the sharing of intelligence knowledge, experiences and expertise with current members. In addition, it is envisaged that the association will promote the history of heritage of the State Security Agency,” he said.