National Assembly - 24 May 2000
WEDNESDAY, 24 MAY 2000 __
PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL ASSEMBLY
____
The House met at 15:00.
The Speaker took the Chair and requested members to observe a moment of silence for prayers or meditation.
ANNOUNCEMENTS, TABLINGS AND COMMITTEE REPORTS - see col 000.
QUESTIONS FOR ORAL REPLY
Mr D H M GIBSON: Madam Speaker, I rise on a point of order in relation to the Question Paper for today. The DP was advised that the hon the Minister of Health would not be available this week, and, on that basis, no questions were prioritised for her. We now notice that she is here, large as life, and I would like to ask what the arrangement is about questions which would have been put to her and now cannot be put, and why was the DP not advised that the Minister had changed her mind? The SPEAKER: Order! I will find out in the course of question time and get back to you.
QUESTIONS AND REPLIES - see that book.
NOTICES OF MOTION
Mr R P ZONDO: Madam Speaker, I give notice that on the next sitting day of the House I shall move on behalf of the ANC:
That the House -
(1) notes -
(a) the launch of the New NP's poster campaign against the new
Firearms Control Bill;
(b) that the New NP's poster campaign is based on deliberate
distortion and falsification of the intentions of the Bill,
which are -
(i) the introduction of stricter measures for granting firearm
licences;
(ii) the promotion of responsible ownership and use of
firearms;
(iii) the periodic evaluation of legal firearm owners; and
(iv) the declaration of gun-free zones;
(2) believes that this campaign, in reality, is a campaign against the Government’s intentions to control the proliferation of illegal firearms and create stricter control measures for legally owned firearms; and
(3) calls on the New NP to work with the Government and millions of South Africans in making South Africa a safer place for all.
[Applause.]
Mr G A J GROBLER: Madam Speaker, I hereby give notice that on the next sitting day of the House I shall move on behalf of the DP:
That the House - (1) notes -
(a) the announcement by the Minister for the Public Service and
Administration that an audit is to be done of public servants,
including their qualifications and issues of birth and
identification; and
(b) that investigations so far have uncovered 11 public servants
whose qualifications cannot be verified;
(2) expresses its disquiet at the lack of proper checking with regard to the qualifications and other personal details of persons hired by the state; and
(3) calls on the Minister to -
(a) tighten up the procedures for vetting potential public
servants; and
(b) lay charges against public servants who provide fraudulent
information on their CVs.
Dr R RABINOWITZ: Madam Speaker, I give notice that on the next sitting day of the House I will move:
That the House -
(1) in view of recent attention drawn to the issue of testing for HIV and Aids, desires that all sectors unite and strengthen the partnership against HIV/Aids;
(2) calls on the Minister of Health to -
(a) dedicate funds to the training of counsellors so that group pre-
test counselling can be provided in clinics, outpatient
facilities, high schools, universities and other centres where
people gather in numbers in order to broaden the existing one-on-
one counselling; and
(b) make the rapid HIV test, now available in South Africa for R6,
freely accessible in all public and private clinics and
hospitals so that all patients can be offered an Aids test and
told their results; and
(3) recognises that, in this way, the public will be encouraged to be open about Aids and to act responsibly by not passing the infection on to others.
Mr Q J KGAUWE: Madam Speaker, I give notice that on the next sitting day of the House I shall move on behalf of the ANC:
That the House -
(1) notes -
(a) the appointment of a commission of inquiry to investigate
corruption in the registration of taxis and determination of
routes, improper conduct by police and related issues in KwaZulu-
Natal; and
(b) that the appointment of this commission is a result of MEC S'bu
Ndebele's firm commitment to contain taxi violence, corruption
and bribery of government officials which prevents the arrest of
perpetrators;
(2) welcomes this bold initiative and hopes it will go a long way towards rooting out taxi violence and corruption in the industry; and
(3) calls on the MEC for Transport in the Western Cape to emulate this example and seek amicable and creative mechanisms to end taxi- industry conflict in the Western Cape.
[Applause.]
Mr C M MORKEL: Madam Speaker, I give notice that at the next sitting of the House I shall move on behalf of the New NP:
That the House -
(1) commends the statement by the Minister of Sport and Recreation in the NCOP on 23 May 2000 in answer to recent New NP calls, noting that he is reported to have said:
Nocsa's refusal that the SA hockey team which has qualified as
African champions to participate in the Olympic Games,
representing South Africa in Sydney, is unacceptable ... (2) calls upon the Minister, now that he has blown the whistle on Nocsa,
to give Sam Ramsamy his long overdue red card;
(3) reiterates its position that development programmes and teams should resort at provincial and lower levels of sport to promote rapid skills development and experience, which would feed our national teams with meritorious players;
(4) calls upon Mr Ramsamy to stop withholding Nocsa’s endorsement of the South African mens’ hockey team as hostages in his thuggerous war of words with the South African hockey administrators; and
(5) takes cognisance of the International Olympic Committee’s imminent decision on the matter later this week in Rio de Janeiro.
[Interjections.]
Mr S ABRAM: Madam Speaker, I give notice that on the next sitting day of the House I shall move on behalf of the UDM: That the House -
(1) notes -
(a) the announcement by the MEC for Agriculture and Environment in
KwaZulu-Natal, Narend Singh, that 275 000 ha of land is to be
utilised for the settlement of previously disadvantaged persons
as future farmers; and
(b) the assertion that land is to be parcelled up into viable units;
and
(2) calls upon the Government to -
(a) apply measures that will empower the beneficiaries;
(b) create mechanisms such as agri-co-operatives which will ensure
that the beneficiaries have access to the hiring of tractors and
farming equipment at affordable rates, the purchase of seed,
fertiliser, breeding stock, fuel and other materials necessary
for successful agricultural practices on reasonable terms and
free of interest;
(c) involve organisations such as Agri SA and the Agricultural
Research Council by calling on them to avail their expertise;
and
(d) monitor the entire programme and report to Parliament
periodically.
[Time expired.]
Mr A M MAZIYA: Madam Speaker, I give notice that on the next sitting day of the House I shall move on behalf of the ANC:
That the House -
(1) notes -
(a) the arrest of eight Pagad members after a shootout with
gangsters on Sunday, the arrest of drivers and the discovery of
a ticking bomb outside a Sea Point business; and
(b) the renewed gang violence throughout the Cape Flats has claimed
51 lives since January as a result of drug territorial warfare;
(2) recognises that criminals continue to prey on our people and society; and
(3) calls on the provincial and national Government, the police and ordinary citizens to work together to ensure a speedy end to the taxi conflict and gang violence in the Western Cape.
[Applause.]
Dr S E M PHEKO: Madam Speaker, I give notice that at the next sitting of the House I shall move on behalf of the PAC of Azania:
That the House -
(1) notes that -
(a) the Lesotho government has introduced legislation in its
Parliament aimed at curbing the rising incidence of cross-border
car theft; and
(b) the Bill is called the Motor Vehicle Theft Bill; and
(2) therefore welcomes this legislation as it will also have the effect of curbing motor vehicle theft in South Africa.
And I am ready for those who want a debate on Azania! [Laughter.]
Ms C DUDLEY: Madam Speaker, I hereby give notice that on the next sitting day of the House I shall move on behalf of the ACDP:
That the House -
(1) calls upon the Minister of Trade and Industry urgently to formulate guidelines for acceptable interest rates in line with free-market principles for the microlending industry;
(2) also calls on the Minister to liaise with the Financial Services Board and the Banking Council of South Africa in this regard; and (3) requests the Minister of Trade and Industry and the Minister of Finance to consider the possibility of the Financial Services Board being the appropriate and effective regulator of the microlending industry rather than the Department of Trade and Industry.
Sister B NCUBE: Madam Speaker, I give notice that on the next sitting day of the House I shall move on behalf of the ANC:
That the House -
(1) notes the call for a moral regeneration by the Government and other leaders;
(2) further notes the historic moral summit held in Johannesburg in 1998, attended by leaders of political parties, the Government and religious organisations;
(3) commends former President Nelson Mandela and President Mbeki for setting an example by signing the code of conduct for people in position of responsibility alongside the religious leaders; and
(4) invites all hon members to sign the abovementioned code of conduct.
[Applause.]
Mr J SELFE: Madam Speaker, I hereby give notice that on the next sitting day of the House I shall move on behalf of the DP:
That the House -
(1) expresses its appreciation to the three Capetonians and the members of the SA Police Service bomb-disposal unit, whose actions in finding and defusing a pipe-bomb in Sea Point prevented a potential tragedy; and
(2) calls on the Minister of Safety and Security to honour his promise in November 1999 to arrest the people responsible for the ongoing pipe- bomb attacks in the Peninsula and to do the minimum demanded of any government, viz to provide law-abiding citizens with security and freedom from violence and crime.
Mr B M DOUGLAS: Madam Speaker, I give notice that on the next sitting day of the House I shall move on behalf of the IFP:
That the House -
(1) notes -
(a) that housing subsidy schemes were introduced after 1994 to
benefit the largely marginalised communities; and
(b) with great sadness that because of economic pressure, many
people, especially in the Western Cape, are abandoning this once-
in-a-lifetime opportunity by selling their houses for between
R5 000 and R8 000 to gangsters and oomatshonisa [loan sharks];
and
(2) welcomes the prompt move by the Minister of Housing to introduce a five-year pre-emptive clause in favour of the state in the title deeds to prevent the resale of subsidised houses.
Mr M M S LEKGORO: Madam Speaker, I give notice that on the next sitting day of the House I shall move on behalf of the ANC:
That the House -
(1) notes that the new tax on foreign dividends, announced on 23 February in the Budget Speech, is providing billions of rands for the public purse;
(2) believes that this tax - which is a stage in phasing in a residence- based tax system - will prevent tax avoidance;
(3) recognises the importance of an improved tax policy which will ensure that Government revenue is bolstered to the benefit of those in need and will provide relief to the poor and middle-income earners who make up the majority of our citizens; and
(4) commends the Minister of Finance, the SA Revenue Service and the Katz Commission for the effective restructuring of our tax and revenue collection systems.
Dr S J GOUS: Mevrou die Speaker, ek gee kennis dat ek op die volgende sittingsdag namens die Nuwe NP sal voorstel:
Dat die Huis daarvan kennis neem dat -
(1) die Minister van Gesondheid bevestig het dat tientalle farmaseutiese maatskappye sedert 1994 hul beleggings in Suid-Afrika verminder of aan die land onttrek het;
(2) die Nuwe NP lank reeds teen hierdie neiging waarsku;
(3) die onttrekking aan verskeie faktore toegeskryf kan word, onder meer misdaad, geweld en arbeidswetgewing, maar dat die belangrikste rede die voortdurende dreigemente teen en demonisering van die farmaseutiese bedryf is, veral ten opsigte van patentregte in die vorm van parallelle invoere en verpligte lisensiëring;
(4) die onttrekking van die maatskappye ‘n nadelige invloed op werkskepping sal hê; en
(5) geen nuwe medisyne, behandelings of inentings ontwikkel sal word indien die maatskappye se patentregte nie die nodige erkenning en beskerming ontvang nie. (Translation of Afrikaans notice of motion follows.)
[Dr S J GOUS: Madam Speaker, I give notice that on the next sitting day I shall move on behalf of the New NP:
That the House notes that -
(1) the Minister of Health has confirmed that since 1994 many pharmaceutical companies have reduced their investments in South Africa or have withdrawn from the country;
(2) the New NP has been warning against this trend for a long time now;
(3) the withdrawal can be ascribed to various factors, among others crime, violence and labour legislation, but that the most important factor is the constant threats against and demonising of the pharmaceutical industry, in particular in respect of patent rights, in the shape of parallel imports and compulsory licensing;
(4) the withdrawal of these companies will have a negative effect on job creation; and
(5) no new medicine, treatment or innoculation will be developed if the patent rights of companies do not receive the necessary recognition and protection.]
Mr T ABRAHAMS: Madam Speaker, I give notice that at the next sitting of the House I will move on behalf of the UDM:
That the House -
(1) recognises the very positive laws and regulations governing road usage that have been passed by Parliament in the past six years to fit our democratic Constitution;
(2) notes that the implementation of these laws and the resolute enforcement of the existing regulations must transform South African roads into safer and less abused places of public utilisation;
(3) realises that at this point the need for further laws and more regulations has become less important than the implementation of the existing legislation’s enactment; and
(4) calls on the Cabinet in general, and the Minister of Transport in particular, to accept that the emphasis must now be shifted from mere law-making to implementation.
Mr P J GOMOMO: Madam Speaker, I give notice that on the next sitting day of the House I shall move on behalf of the ANC:
That the House -
(1) notes that -
(a) the European Union is to boost tourism development in the
Eastern Cape with a grant of 12 million pounds sterling in a
four-year programme; and
(b) the funding will create 300 enterprises for black communities in
the area and directly create 1 500 jobs; and
(2) commends the EU for contributing to the reconstruction and development of the Eastern Cape’s tourism industry to an internationally recognised standard.
[Applause.]
25TH ANNIVERSARY OF IFP
(Draft Resolution)
The CHIEF WHIP OF THE MAJORITY PARTY: Madam Speaker, I move without notice:
That the House -
(1) notes that the Inkatha Freedom Party (IFP) celebrated its 25th anniversary over the weekend;
(2) believes that the IFP has played an important part in the first democratic government as well as the current Government in transforming our society; and
(3) congratulates them on their birthday and hopes that they will continue to play a positive role in strengthening our democracy. Agreed to.
[Applause.]
SUPPORT FOR SOUTH AFRICAN BOXERS
(Draft Resolution)
Mr J J DOWRY: Madam Speaker, I move without notice:
That the House -
(1) notes the world title boxing fights to be held in Brakpan tonight where three South Africans, Cassius Baloyi, Baby Jake Matlala and Hawk Makepula, will be fighting;
(2) recognises the wealth of sporting talent currently present in South Africa;
(3) pledges its support to all three South African boxers in their respective fights tonight, wishing them all the best; and
(4) notes that if Baby Jake Matlala wins tonight, he will make history by becoming the first South African boxer to win four world titles from different world bodies.
Agreed to.
[Applause.]
APPROPRIATION BILL
Debate on Vote No 30 - State Expenditure (Intelligence Services):
The MINISTER FOR INTELLIGENCE: Madam Speaker, hon members, Sun Tzu, a Chinese warrior and philosopher, said:
Those who are victorious plan effectively and change decisively. They are like a great river that maintains its course but adjusts its flow. They have form but are formless. They are skilled in both planning and adapting and need not fear the result of a thousand battles; for they win in advance, defeating those that have already lost. Since this is the first budget that I am presenting as Minister for Intelligence, and being motivated by these wise words, it is appropriate that I start by reflecting on what plans and changes are in the pipeline for our intelligence services.
As we live in an interdependent world, where transnational security threats are a common concern, the vision, mission and plans for our intelligence services are located in a global context. In this setting, we will highlight intelligence and security changes facing us and make a contribution to a plan for the security cluster mapped out by President Thabo Mbeki during the state of the nation address in June 1999 and in February this year.
Our vision is to continue to build one of the most effective intelligence services to support our Government and people, operating within the framework of our Constitution and legislation. Our vision is to ensure that the conduct and behaviour of the intelligence services is exemplary and beyond question, serving our people as a whole and impartially. To this end, in the next five years, the Ministry for Intelligence will continue to strive for a national consensus on intelligence, treating intelligence as a national asset, and with the recognition that intelligence is a vital and indispensible activity of Government.
Debates about intelligence in this House had been unknown until the dawn of the new dispensation. Despite strides taken over the last five years, public debate on intelligence remains shallow and mysticism continues to surround intelligence. A popular perception of our intelligence services is of poorly supervised, improperly guided and amateurish services. It is thought that their main concern and interest revolve around telephone tapping, a matter often raised at the drop of a hat.
Much of the criticism of the intelligence services is driven by, among others, ignorance and the refusal to distinguish between the old and the new dispensation. In these debates no distinction is made between sources, contacts, agents or members. Different as they are, they are lumped into one. This approach leads many South Africans to have a cold shiver down the spine when they hear the word ``intelligence’’. Intelligence continues to be tantamount to thuggery, wrongdoing and bug planting. In this perspective, intelligence services are guilty until proven innocent. Even when proven innocent, scepticism and criticism always prevail. These myths and misconceptions bear no resemblance to the intelligence services as I know them. The cloak-and-dagger life of the past has never been ours.
One may ask: What do we think of when we talk about intelligence? When we talk about intelligence, we are referring to organs with foresight which, during the dark days of apartheid, realised that it was possible to have a peaceful, negotiated settlement in this country. They ensured that the dim light became bright, thus contributing towards saving the country from the brink of disaster by backing visionary leaders through talks about talks and, ultimately, the negotiations which made Freedom Day a reality.
We speak of organs that forewarn of things to come, giving insights and suggesting steps to be taken for our state to prosper and remain secure. I speak of organs that help us to carve a niche for our country in the global village. We talk of selfless people who, when the violence in Gauteng, KwaZulu-Natal, the Eastern Cape and the Western Cape was at its height, went into the lion’s den to get intelligence. They found that conditions for free and fair elections did not exist in some of these areas and recommended a delay of the elections amidst a lot of criticism. This recommendation led to the stabilisation of the flashpoints. In the end, even the sceptics conceded that they were correct. History absolved the intelligence services.
The intelligence officers we speak about are not perfect, but strive for perfection. They tell the leadership what they ought to know and not what they want to know. They live in the real world, a world that is unmasked. Thanks to these unsung heroes and heroines of our country, South Africa is not the crime capital by any stretch of the imagination. We concur with the Minister of Safety and Security that the fight against crime is beginning to pay off. We will not relieve the pressure. The killing of police must stop.
In 1999 we were able to hold our national elections free from fear. Again, this was possible because of the role of the intelligence services and their partners in the Police Service and the Defence Force. As a cluster, we are making a big difference in service delivery. In this context, it was gratifying to see our helicopters and our Defence Force women and men saving our Mozambican neighbours from tree-tops in the midst of the floods. It made one proud to be a South African. The Minister of Safety and Security spoke about the recent closure of a mandrax laboratory in Mozambique, identified by the SA Secret Service. This is one of the many successes in our collaborative effort.
Our security is intelligence-driven. One such critical contribution to planning and force preparation is the national intelligence estimate which was prepared with distinction last year by the National Intelligence Co- ordinating Committee. As a result, our leadership knows what is happening. Because of these successes, capacity-building initiatives based on international best practice are under way to make intelligence even better at what it does. This augurs well for the future.
Our history and that of the world teaches us that intelligence can help to produce good policies and avoid disastrous ones, that intelligence can and does save lives, and that it is indispensable as insurance. Intelligence is a critical policy-making support function.
We must concede that the intelligence services that steered us safely into a new South Africa, shepherded us through some of the most delicate periods of our transitional history and are now helping us to consolidate our newly found democracy, are worth their salt. Whilst there are some negative elements in their midst, the latter are a minority that is fighting a losing battle. Bad elements are and will be dealt with fairly, firmly and within the rule of law. [Interjections.] Weaknesses and aberrations aside, these selfless people are committed to the security and prosperity of the new dispensation. This budget will help them to continue doing that.
Two years ago in Durban, the summit of the Nonaligned Movement emphasised that the world today is far from being a peaceful, just and secure place. The Nonaligned Movement identified many obstacles posing a threat to international good governance and peace. What became clear is that this world needs intelligence like dry soil needs water.
Our national security perspective has shifted the focus towards human security and, we think, beyond traditional military threats. This is an international trend. For example, the US National Security Council spokesperson, Mr P J Crowley, said:
We have in fact expanded our concept of what constitutes our country’s national security. In this new age we have to think beyond traditional military threats.
In this world, various national security threats call for intelligence attention. Many of these were accurately identified by our national intelligence estimate last year. Key among these are: The proliferation of weapons of mass destruction; the management and disposal of nuclear waste material; organised crime such as drug trafficking, smuggling of arms and people, especially the girl-child, and car and truck hijacking; terrorism, exemplified by urban terror in the Western Cape; espionage, especially economic espionage; and the illegal acquisition and transfer of technology.
These have all become international security challenges. They know no borders, respect no sovereignty, and need no treaties or special co- operation agreements to thrive and prosper. More sophisticated intelligence and criminal activities accompany all of this. Money-laundering is one of the activities. As I speak, two of our citizens are in the Philippines, held against their will. Intelligence has a critical role to play in trying to help to save their lives in support of the Department of Foreign Affairs and Government.
This budget will enable us to work tirelessly to ensure that peace and stability prevail. As we are busy honing ourselves to meet the aforementioned challenges so, too, are our competitors. They are trying to gain the edge over us. In India, plans are currently under way to create another agency which will be dedicated to gathering, collating and assessing military intelligence. In China, France, Britain, Germany and the United States, close working relations have been developed among their governments, intelligence services and business sectors. A major paradigm shift is taking place internationally.
We are convinced that if we are to be successful and if our country is to prosper economically, the improvement of communication and co-operation between Government, business and our intelligence services is critical. Isuka muva likholwa yizagila! [This means the early bird catches the fattest worm!] [Interjections.]
In the United States of America, the FBI has been involved for the past three years in preparation for the transition into this century. This preparation involved, among other things, implementing the Communication Assistance to Law Enforcement Act, or Calea. The Act creates room for all encryption keys to be deposited with law enforcement agencies. This is to ensure that court-authorised wire-tapping is not hampered through encryption advances. We need to learn from this.
The United Kingdom is currently busy with a programme of updating the government communication headquarters, which is responsible for signal intelligence gathering. This is being done to ensure that they are ready for the hi-tech national security and intelligence gathering challenges of the 21st century. As part of this process they are recruiting computer experts and they have put a puzzle on their website as a qualification test. Those who are able to unscramble the puzzle are offered employment. They are also recruiting language experts with a special focus on our continent.
The advancement in technology, especially computer and communication technology, enables those involved in legal and illegal trade to conduct their business with ease and unprecedented speed. These developments have given rise to new crimes such as cyberterrorism, changed the nature of intelligence work and given rise to new security challenges for governments, especially the protection of the general public.
In keeping with developments elsewhere in the world, we have already announced that, as a security cluster, we will be focusing on the setting up of the National Communication Centre, or NCC. In this regard, I am pleased to announce that the NCC task team has been appointed under the chairpersonship of the Director-General of the Department of Communications, Mr Ngcaba. They are focusing on the amalgamation of all existing signal intelligence capabilities of Government and the security of Government telecommunications and electronic data processing. We are opting for a phased approach in recognition of the limited resources that are at our disposal, whilst investing in the future.
The Ministry for Intelligence welcomes the appointment of the Inspector- General of Intelligence. We are of the opinion that his mere presence will increase public confidence in the services. Furthermore, the inspector- general is an important additional layer of supervision and control and will go a long way towards ensuring that unfounded accusations are cleared and wrongdoing corrected in a confidence-building environment. This budget contains a spending centre for the office of the inspector-general and the resources for his functioning.
One of the inspector-general’s first tasks will be to review the work done by the services in investigating the theft of minibuses and computers within the services and to recommend a way forward. In general, disciplinary measures are being taken against those who were negligent in their duties when these thefts occurred. The dockets will remain open. The inspector-general will also review the functioning of the covert structures of the services to strengthen internal controls. This will also help to address some of the weaknesses highlighted in the Auditor-General’s report.
The comments made in the Auditor-General’s report can be divided into three categories. Firstly, there are issues that were inherited from the amalgamation process, which comprise a substantial part of the report. Secondly, there are issues that were brought to the attention of the Auditor-General by the services themselves following their own investigations relating to the operation of the two covert structures. Thirdly, there are issues that were unearthed by the Auditor-General which highlight deficiencies in internal controls.
The report of the Auditor-General has been accepted by myself and the directors-general of both the National Intelligence Agency and the SA Secret Service. I would like to report that steps have been taken to deal with most issues and concerns brought to our attention by the Auditor- General, and we have, in a joint meeting held on Friday, 12 May this year, briefed the Auditor-General on the measures taken to date.
We are acting decisively in these new cases, as we did in the former
Bophuthatswana and Transkei homelands. Assets were impounded, cars
repossessed and management suspended from these said intelligence services.
We were the first in Government to take such stringent measures. I have
introduced directives entitled A Strategic Framework to secure
Accountability'' andGood Governance within the Intelligence Services.’’
These directives give legal effect to the provisions of the Public Finance
Management Act and Treasury instructions to the intelligence dispensation.
The steps taken to date by the intelligence services include, among other initiatives, the provision of financial management training to regional and foreign offices’ representatives; the assumption of financial control by head office where decentralised control was found not to be sufficient; a deduction from members’ salaries where advances could not be accounted for; review of organisational policy to enhance regional and foreign office performance and control where it was found redundant and poorly conceived; the appointment of senior managers to head regional and foreign offices so as to avail the necessary skills and expertise to enhance performance and control; in the case of covert units, two boards of inquiry sitting currently to hear evidence led by a prosecutor and heard by a magistrate from the Department of Justice and Constitutional Development; and the preparation and updating of asset registers. We are committed to engendering a culture of zero tolerance of maladministration, poor financial management and control. The inspector-general is going to be a critical player in this regard.
The private security industry is one critical partner that should be harnessed in our fight against crime. We would, however, have to ensure that they rid themselves of rogue elements and exploitative fly-by-night groups. This House can rest assured that when the Interministerial Security Committee regulates the security industry, it will allow no private intelligence services to operate contrary to our Constitution and legislation.
We are in we are in the process of finalising a performance agreement with the co-ordinator for intelligence, as I have already done with the directors-general of the NIA and the SASS. In this performance agreement we are setting out our expectations with regard to the co-ordination function for the year ahead. Inside the Interministerial Security Committee we will continue laying emphasis on closer co-operation among Intelligence, Defence, Safety and Security and other security-related departments. We, therefore, welcome the increase of the budget of the Police Service and the Defence Force, as our partners in the quest for national security. However, the lack of a reciprocal increase in the budget of the intelligence services will undermine their ability to drive security in this system.
Clearly, our intelligence services cannot compete effectively internationally and drive the internal security system with the resources at our disposal at present. The allocation now under consideration by this House is for the whole of the secret services operated by the state. It is not a NIA and SASS allocation, nor is it an allocation to the intelligence services alone. The portion which is earmarked broadly for the NIA and the SASS is a composite amount and covers the needs of the following components: the NIA, the SASS, Nicoc, the Ministry, the inspector-general and the services of permanent representatives of the Auditor-General.
On reviewing the Intelligence budget debate and speeches made in this House in the past, I have been struck by the continual undertaking of the Ministry for Intelligence to do more with less, and we have honoured this undertaking. I wish to draw the attention of the House to the fact that the allocation made for the coming year, this year and next year, amounting to a combined total of R832 307 000, is less than 2% more than the amount voted for Intelligence in 1995-96. In 1995-96 we got just over R817 million; in 1996-97 we got R781 million; in 1997-98 we got R723 million; in 1998-99 we got R751 million; in 1999-2000 we got R799 million; and for 2000- 01, we have R832 million.
What is also clear from the figures, is that the intelligence services’ budget has only now, after five years, exceeded the funds voted for it in 1995-96, by an amount of less than 2%. The vision we painted above and the challenges facing us are all affected by the allocation. However, the initiatives of our competitors in the intelligence world are not. The consequences are going to be a delay in the transformation of the intelligence services; a decay of the asset base, especially the sensitive area of high technology; a decline in the operational capability of the intelligence services, arising from a shortage of essential equipment; and the deferment of essential training programmes and key projects.
This situation needs special attention. The Minister of Finance, in this year’s Budget Speech, said:
Our history of struggle and the indomitable spirit of our people have taught us that survival is not about fitness alone. It is about perseverance, comradeship, wisdom and caring.
We share this view.
We are grateful to have found a solid foundation laid by our former Minister, Mr Dullah Omar; the Head of Ministerial Services, Zola Ngcakani, and the Ministry staff; the Co-ordinator for Intelligence, Mr Linda Mti, and his staff; and the previous directors-general of the NIA and the SASS, Dr Sigxashe and Mr Masetlha. We welcome the new directors-general of the NIA and the SASS, Mr Mavimbela and Mr Dennis. Together, we pledge ourselves to build on the foundation to make intelligence better. Like the secretary bird in our new coat of arms, we seek to protect the successes and to soar to heights.
Fellow South Africans, we have something special in these services. As the President said: We are on course. We need not fear the result of a thousand battles. [Applause.]
Mr D H M GIBSON: Madam Speaker, the hon the Minister will forgive me if I do not respond to his fascinating, poetic and inspired speech. [Interjections.] The DP has been denied representation on the committee because of the actions of this department, and until that matter is fixed, we have no intention of participating in this Vote. [Interjections.] The hon the Minister will also not be surprised to hear me say that the DP will be voting against this Vote. [Interjections.]
Debate interrupted. The House adjourned at 17:52. ____
ANNOUNCEMENTS, TABLINGS AND COMMITTEE REPORTS
National Assembly and National Council of Provinces:
- The Speaker and the Chairperson:
(1) The following Bill was introduced in the National Assembly on 24
May 2000 and referred to the Joint Tagging Mechanism (JTM) for
classification in terms of Joint Rule 160:
(i) General Intelligence Law Amendment Bill [B 36 - 2000]
(National Assembly - sec 75). The Bill has not yet been
referred to a committee. [Explanatory summary of Bill and
prior notice of its introduction published in Government
Gazette No 21084 of 14 April 2000.]
COMMITTEE REPORTS:
National Assembly:
- Report of the Portfolio Committee on Transport on the COSPAS/SARSAT Notification Letter, dated 24 May 2000: The Portfolio Committee on Transport, having considered the request for approval by Parliament of the Letter of Notification of Association with the International COSPAS/SARSAT Programme as a Ground Segment Provider, referred to it, recommends that the House, in terms of section 231(2) of the Constitution, approve the said Letter of Notification.
Report to be considered.