Parliament rejects misrepresentation of its vetting process in a weekend newspaper report claiming it is aimed at intimidating staff.
The report bizarrely links routine re-vetting of officials to a “shift in the past 18 months, with securocrats taking over” Parliament.
Baseless allegations about staff intimidation, seeing whistle-blowers as informants, journalists as spies and civil society as criminals are gratuitously made in the report with no evidence to back them.
Vetting is a mandatory and standard government practice that aims to ascertain the suitability of candidates and employees in government and to verify personal information.
It is a legal process to determine the suitability of candidates who are employed or who have applied for a job in an organ of state. It is also further extended to suppliers who do business with the State and who may, as a result thereof, gain access to classified information.
The National Strategic Intelligence Act of 1994, sets out the procedure to be followed by the State Security Agency in granting security clearance. The practice is well established (even internationally) and occurs in all government departments. Parliament’s security policy requires all employees to undergo vetting. All staff appointments are subject to positive security clearance. This is clearly stated on each advert for a position at Parliament.
Vetting entails providing information about one’s financial statements, qualifications, travels, associations, references, lifestyle etc. in a bid to verify qualifications and to ascertain whether the employee can be granted access to classified information or whether an employee may pose a risk to national security
Parliament notes the reports about staff concerns and urges officials to raise any matter of concern through the correct channels.
A vetting programme similar to the current process was undertaken in 2005. Parliament’s senior managers were again vetted in the Fourth Parliament. As security clearance certificates are valid for 10 – 15 years, most certificates of staff have either expired or will expire this year.
Issued by Parliament of RSA