Parliament has approved the appointment of Public Works deputy director-general, Imtiaz Fazel, as the Inspector-General of Intelligence (IGI).
Following deliberations in the National Assembly on Tuesday, MPs resolved to recommend Fazel’s appointment to President Cyril Ramaphosa.
Between 2002 and 2012, Fazel was acting chief operations officer in the IGI office.
Shortlist
In a statement, Parliament spokesperson Moloto Mothapo said the Joint Standing Committee on Intelligence (JSCI) had received a total of 25 applications for the position, which became vacant in March this year.
“The JSCI shortlisted 12 candidates for interviews on relevant areas regarding the role and functions of the IGI, based on the Constitution, the Act, and relevant legislation and other matters, such as the High-Level Review Panel report.
ALSO READ: Imtiaz Fazel: Who exactly is the spy watchdog nominee?
“[After] deliberations, the JSCI resolved by a simple majority of members present to nominate Mr Imtiaz Ahmed Fazel for approval by the National Assembly, for recommendation to the president for appointment as the IGI,” Mothapo said.
Fazel was one of the candidates interviewed for the IGI post in February.
Other candidates included former director-general in the Presidency under former president Thabo Mbeki, Frank Chikane, and current IGI incumbent, Setlhomamaru Dintwe.
Dintwe’s five-year term ended in March.
South Africa’s intelligence services have been weakened and rendered ineffective after years of rampant corruption during the state capture era.
Phala Phala
Some opposition parties in Parliament have since called on Fazel to investigate the Phala Phala farm robbery scandal if appointed by Ramaphosa.
Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) MP Mbuyiseni Ndlozi said the IGI must investigate whether the State Security Agency (SSA) was involved in the alleged cover-up of the February 2020 theft at Ramaphosa’s Phala Phala farm in Limpopo and whether a secret crime intelligence fund was used in the undercover operations.
“We want to impress upon the incoming IGI that the immediate task that is going to be bestowed upon them, which calls them into action, is to look into the abuse of the intelligence services as well as SSA in executing the protection in Phala Phala farm.
“The usage of intelligence services there has to be investigated by the IGI to protect the integrity of those processes from political abuse. So we want to impress upon this candidate that they must investigate Phala Phala without fear or favour,” he said.
RELATED: DA reiterates call for ad hoc committee as Zizi Kodwa cleared in Phala Phala ‘cover-up’
Ndlozi said he was confident that the IGI would come to the same conclusions as alleged by former SSA director-general Arthur Fraser.
When Fraser laid criminal charges against Ramaphosa in June, he alleged that, among other things, Presidential Protection Unit head, Wally Rhoode, entered and exited Namibia using unofficial channels when the president “sought assistance” from Namibian President Hage Geingob to apprehend the suspects behind the theft.
Meanwhile, African Christian Democratic Party (ACDP) MP, Wayne Thring, echoed Ndlozi’s sentiments.
“In light of the DollarGate or Phala Phala scandal, the ACDP calls on the office of the Public Protector and the newly to be appointed Inspector of Intelligence to fulfil their mandate in holding the president to account, without fear, favour or prejudice,” Thring said.
