Inspector General candidate gets National Assembly nod

29 November 2016

Cape Town – Inspector General of Intelligence candidate Setlhomamaru Dintwe on Tuesday received the National Assembly nod for the post.

His candidacy was approved when 299 voted in favour, 14 voted against and none abstained.

The inspector general position was supported by the majority of political parties in the house, with only the EFF objecting to Dintwe's appointment.

After almost two years, three interview processes, the appointment was approved and it will now be up to President Jacob Zuma to approve.

A few gremlins entered the process when the voting had to be done twice, due to doors not being locked during the voting session.

A long time coming

Committee chairperson Charles Nqakula told the National Assembly on Tuesday that they had received the lowest number of applications in the last process.

This was the fourth time they had tried to fill the position.

This could be due to the stop and start process, he said.

“The matter has been long coming. We have not been able to fill the vacancy, until now.”

He said Dintwe had done very well and the committee had been united in selecting him.

DA chief whip John Steenhuisen said it was an indictment that the position had been unfilled for over a year and a half.

They supported the appointment of Dintwe, he said.

“We do have reservations, in terms of pictures that were shared on social media and the subject of an affidavit. But he emerged from the interview as the best candidate and untainted by the intelligence committee,” he said.

He said he hoped the inspector general would get to the bottom of State Security Minister David Mhlobo’s visit to a spa.

‘Don’t trust candidate’

EFF MP Mbuyiseni Ndlozi said they opposed the nomination. The office had a monumental task, he said.

“Our intelligence offices since Zuma took over have been used for political and factional battles and not make the country safe. South Africa has become a post-colonial disaster,” he said.

EFF did not trust the candidate, he said, and they were discomforted because of the way the ANC lobbied for him.

The IFP also praised Dintwe as the best candidate for the position and said they hoped he would be above state capture.

His sentiments were echoed by the NFP, which said the candidate had been “outstanding during his interview” and was not aligned to any political party and had impeccable credentials.

UDM MP Nqabayomzi Nkwakwa said they also supported the recommendation.

“His wealth of knowledge in the security cluster will stand him in good stead,” he said.

He would be able to hit the ground running, Nkwakwa said.

He, however, cautioned Dintwe against the use of the office to settle political scores.

“You have an important choice to make,” he said.

The inspector general of intelligence post needed two thirds majority to pass through the National Assembly.

This article first appeared on News24, see here.