Another Inspector-General of Intelligence candidate faces grilling

Dennis TFebruary 9, 2022

33 2 minutes read

MPs continued to grill more candidates for the position of Inspector-General of Intelligence as they try to meet next month’s deadline to appoint the new inspector-general.

The term of office of Setlhomamaru Dintwe comes to an end in March after he served after five years. He is one of the last five candidates to be interviewed on Wednesday. But Smanga Jele was the first candidate to face MPs, where he was grilled on issues of cyber-security and monitoring of intelligence agencies.

Parliament’s joint standing committee on intelligence started the interview process on Tuesday and is expected to continue on Wednesday.

Jele, who has a record of serving in the office of the inspector-general of intelligence, said his vision is to bring a constructive contribution, building partnerships, holding the intelligence services accountable for their activities and a vision that there should be a bridge between members of the intelligence and members of the public.
It is a vision that, should I be appointed, I will make collaborative partnerships. The main challenges is the need for the review of the oversight act (Intelligence Services Oversight Act). Being in the office of the IGI, one understands how the intelligence services operate.

“The challenges which exist relate to administrative challenges, HR challenges, the need for entrenched independence of the IGI. There is a need that the budget for IGI should be non-appropriated with the budget of the State Security Agency,” Jele said.

After much intervention, Jele responded: “The innovative tools one would apply would relate to tools such as interception tools and also some innovative tools would relate to having virtual meetings rather than going to the foreign services to connect.

Ndlozi continued to probe why Jele thinks the committee should recommend him as the IGI when he did not present a cybersecurity vision. “What is this different thing you are going to do, particularly because you do not have a cybersecurity vision?”

Jele said: “One understands the business organisation of the intelligence services – the weaknesses and strengths. One would be in a position to assist this committee so that the IGI is able to function or execute its mandate effectively and efficiently.

Source: IOL

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