State Security is dealing with organised crime: Ntshavheni

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Minister in the Presidency Khumbudzo Ntshavheni says organised crime is one the security threats the State Security is attending to. Ntshavheni was presenting the State Security Agency’s (SSA) budget in Parliament.

Ntshavheni says other issues that need urgent attention is the strengthening of South Africa’s immigration laws as well as effective management of ports of entry and borders.

“The age-old problems of terrorism and transnational criminal syndicates and this is worsened by the proliferation of all forms and types of weapons of mass destruction and the unregulated immigration patterns between countries, regions and global movement,” says Ntshavheni.

The ANC expressed concerns about the impact of budget cuts on the work of the SSA.

“As threats have evolved dramatically traditional security concerns like military conflicts and territorial dispute have been compounded by the challenges in this complex threat environment. Intelligence services are our first line of defence, they provide the necessary insights to anticipate, prevent and mitigate risks as such adequate funding is crucial for maintaining our ability to respond to this dynamic and multi-faceted threats,” says ANC MP Doris Dlakude.

The DA called for the General Intelligence Laws Amendment Bill to be signed into law

“This Bill needed to reverse Zuma years, to protect one man, rather country. President to sign it. Will send him this pen. Once he receives the pen, those days are over,” says DA MP Dianne Kohler Barnard.

Some of the opposition parties tabled their reasons for not supporting the budget.

“To date we don’t seem to have a comprehensive and centralized cyber security entity that focuses on specifically on monitoring any form of cyber threat. In actual fact, it is extremely worrisome minister that in this day and age we are still discussing implementing cyber security,” says MK Party’s Sihle Ngubane.

“What should worry SA is the continuing rise and growth of the sophisticated organised crime which has recently been revealed by the escape of Thabo Bester from prison. There is growing evidence that criminals, through highly placed and important personnel within the Correctional Services, continue to facilitate sophisticated criminal operations that undermine the credibility of the entire criminal justice system,” says EFF MP Marshall Dlamini.