In addition to my previous sceptic blogs on the state of South African Intelligence, Aubrey Matshiki, research associate at the Centre for Policy Studies writes in today's Business Day:
" ... one of the challenges facing Zuma is to heal our intelligence services at management and operational levels in order to protect the integrity of intelligence products, and reverse any corrosion that may have occurred to the capacity to detect, assess and neutralise threats.
"What is important is to change the culture of our intelligence services so that they are able to adequately serve a diverse society."
"The alternative is an intelligence service where agents see themselves as insiders or outsiders. In this scenario, it will be difficult to avoid the privatisation and politicisation of state intelligence resources. Such a situation is fraught with dangers. These include the possibility of operational interference by civilians in the ruling party and the tripartite alliance. There is also the possibility that state intelligence resources will be rented to local and international criminal syndicates. In this situation, it would not be difficult to have operations contaminated by illegal contact with friendly as well as hostile foreign intelligence agencies."
" If these scenarios are not scary enough, you must consider the possibility of deep state activity -- which is when rogue intelligence agents, senior politicians and government officials, criminal syndicates and elements in big business co-operate in pursuit of ignoble political and economic goals. If Zuma does not fix our intelligence services, the day will not be far off when the only South Africans who sleep peacefully are those engaged in nefarious and illegal activities. Don't say you were not warned." (my emphasis)
" ... one of the challenges facing Zuma is to heal our intelligence services at management and operational levels in order to protect the integrity of intelligence products, and reverse any corrosion that may have occurred to the capacity to detect, assess and neutralise threats.
"What is important is to change the culture of our intelligence services so that they are able to adequately serve a diverse society."
"The alternative is an intelligence service where agents see themselves as insiders or outsiders. In this scenario, it will be difficult to avoid the privatisation and politicisation of state intelligence resources. Such a situation is fraught with dangers. These include the possibility of operational interference by civilians in the ruling party and the tripartite alliance. There is also the possibility that state intelligence resources will be rented to local and international criminal syndicates. In this situation, it would not be difficult to have operations contaminated by illegal contact with friendly as well as hostile foreign intelligence agencies."
" If these scenarios are not scary enough, you must consider the possibility of deep state activity -- which is when rogue intelligence agents, senior politicians and government officials, criminal syndicates and elements in big business co-operate in pursuit of ignoble political and economic goals. If Zuma does not fix our intelligence services, the day will not be far off when the only South Africans who sleep peacefully are those engaged in nefarious and illegal activities. Don't say you were not warned." (my emphasis)
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