Centring on Intelligence-Policy Relations – Analysis of the High-Level Review

Panel Report on the State Security Agency

Gcwelumusa Chrysostomus “Castro” Khwela
Independent Researcher
Email address: castro.khwela@gmail.com
Cell Number: 063-754-3178

ABSTRACT

This is a critique of the High-Level Review Panel Report on the State Security Agency, which was
undertaken as an attempt to deal with all but one of the 12 Terms of Reference that were provided
to the Panel. The central theme is based on the Panel’s demanding task of enabling “the
reconstruction of a professional national intelligence capability for South Africa that will respect and
uphold the Constitution, and the relevant legislative prescripts”. Although it was obvious in the
Terms of Reference that the Panel was not envisaged to engage in an investigation exercise, and this
is appropriately acknowledged in the Panel’s Report, the critique is not necessarily scathing on the
findings and recommendations. However, it endeavours to unveil uncharted grounds that are critical
to the sustenance of the intelligence profession, and to establish fundamentally healthy intelligence-
policy relations. Importantly the drive is towards providing a theoretical foundation that is similar to
a civil-military relations approach within the civilian intelligence sphere. Particular attention is paid
on the relationship between policymaking and the intelligence services; the impact of intelligence
education, training and development to combat politicisation and to promote professionalism; as
well as exploring the latest developments around coordination and sharing, with a solemn view on
the influence of the Revolution in Intelligence Affairs. It is argued that the intelligence services are
currently undergoing an inevitable revolution as they respond to evolving transnational threats and
unpredictable circumstances. These require the civilian intelligence services to dynamically reinvent
and transform into organisations that continuously learn and adapt to accommodate change.
Moreover, that intelligence services are no longer expected to rely entirely on their traditional
methods of collecting and processing information into intelligence, particularly for addressing
evolving transnational challenges. However, are projected to move into a new mode of conducting
intelligence by creating the capabilities to process large amounts of information emerging from
countless sources. These include the establishment of other trusted integrated networks, based on
widely-shared information, that must go beyond the normal secret and open information sources
and liaison networks, as is the norm with other intelligence agencies globally. The intention is to
generate an instructive basis in Intelligence-Policy Relations for all the functionaries in the
intelligence chain, including those exercising oversight, as well as for the leadership of the
intelligence services.