Parly concerned at report vetting process
Parliament on Sunday expressed concern at “unnecessary sensation created around its re-vetting processes through contrived claims of ‘an aggressive onslaught and clampdown’ on officials”.
“A report by a Sunday newspaper bizarrely links routine re-vetting of officials to an ‘aggressive onslaught against its own staff in an attempt to root out spies and whistle-blowers’,” the institution said in a statement.
“In an unexplained break with tradition and basic professional requirement, the newspaper failed to bring to the attention of Parliament the serious concerns ostensibly raised by staff about the process,” it said.
No complaints had been received from staff or the labour union about the process. Parliament’s re-vetting of officials had no relation to rooting out whistle-blowers.
“Re-vetting is a normal and regular practice in government. Parliament’s security policy requires all employees to undergo vetting and all staff appointments are subject to positive security clearance.”
A vetting programme similar to the current process was undertaken in 2005. Parliament’s senior managers were again vetted in the Fourth Parliament. As security clearance certificates were valid for 10 to 15 years, most certificates of staff had either expired or would expire this year, Parliament said.
Earlier on Sunday, Democratic Alliance deputy chief whip Mike Waters said media reports on Sunday of further State Security Agency (SSA) interference in Parliament, at the request of Secretary to Parliament Gengezi Mgidlana, were of grave concern and required drastic intervention.
“I will write to the Speaker of Parliament Baleka Mbete and request an urgent meeting of the Parliamentary Oversight Authority (POA) and a full briefing on this matter, Waters said.
“A former deputy director general in the presidency, and known securocrat, Mgidlana’s deployment to Parliament has been characterised by an increase in security, oppressive rules, political interference, and paranoia across the precinct,” he said.
“According to this morning’s reports, the SSA accused certain Non-Government Organisations and members of Parliament’s press gallery of being foreign operatives. Further, that SSA agents had taken up residence on Parliament’s [precincts] and may establish an in-house press review panel.”
This was simply unacceptable and a gross violation of the separation of powers between Parliament and the executive, and the very democratic tenets of the Constitution.
Earlier this year the SSA deployed a signal-jamming device in the National Assembly Chamber during the state-of-the-nation address and just last week reports surfaced that the SSA had been vetting, questioning, and intimidating Parliament staff members in an attempt to plug perceived information leaks.
“The SSA’s spectres have clearly crept onto Parliament’s precinct, and must be exorcised as matter of urgency,” Waters said.