DA cautiously welcomes reestablishment of NSC

The Democratic Alliance cautiously welcomes the reestablishment of the National Security Council (NSC), as determined by the High-Level Review Panel on the State Security Agency (SSA).

There must, however, be some questions asked about some of those included on the NSC. The baggage carried by the Deputy President, the Minister of Police, the Minister of State Security, and the Minister of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs will be a heavy load for the President to haul and have many questioning just how secure we are with this group at the helm.

It is common knowledge that the SSA became one of the areas of mass-looting during the Zuma era. It was under Zuma that the NSC was side-lined, and the SSA manipulated to become his private spy centre, channeling well over a billion into hitherto unconfirmed areas.

It was during those years that the formerly globally-admired entity became a laughing stock – and ended as stripped down as Crime Intelligence was when Richard Mdluli was finally finished with it.

The SSA is there to protect our citizens from domestic and international attacks – and only now that the truth is finally emerging of what was truly going on during that period, will South Africa find a way out of the morass and back into professionalism.

The DA will closely monitor the reestablishment of the NSC and ensure that history does not repeat itself. This Council must be above scrutiny, as it will take immense effort to regain local and international trust.

Statement issued by Dianne Kohler Barnard MP - Shadow Minister of State Security, 18 December 2019