The Minister of State Security (formerly the Minister of Intelligence Services) was a Minister of the

South African government The Republic of South Africa is a parliamentary republic with three-tier system of government and an independent judiciary, operating in a parliamentary system. Legislative authority is held by the Parliament of South Africa. Executive authori ...

, who oversaw South Africa's civilian

intelligence agencies An intelligence agency is a government agency responsible for the collection, analysis, and exploitation of information in support of law enforcement, national security, military, public safety, and foreign policy objectives. Means of informatio ...

and national security matters. In 2021 the ministry was abolished and the function of the minister was taken over by the Presidency.

Formation

In 1994, the intelligence service affairs were subordinated to the

Minister of Justice A justice ministry, ministry of justice, or department of justice is a ministry or other government agency in charge of the administration of justice. The ministry or department is often headed by a minister of justice (minister for justice in a ...

. In 1995,

Joe Nhlanhla Joseph Mbuku Nhlanhla (4 December 1936 – 2 July 2008) was an African National Congress national executive and the former South African Intelligence Minister. Early life Born in Sophiatown, near Johannesburg, Nhlanhla attended the Ikage Primar ...

became Deputy Minister of Justice with responsibility for intelligence affairs. When Jacob Zuma was elected president in 2009 he renamed the post to Minister of State Security, but kept

Siyabonga Cwele Siyabonga Cyprian Cwele (born 3 September 1958) is a South African doctor and politician, a long-serving member of the African National Congress The African National Congress (ANC) is a social-democratic political party in South Afri ...

in the job. After the ANC election win in May 2014, Jacob Zuma announced the new Minister of State Security as David Mahlobo.

Agencies

The following Agencies and their entities fell under the oversight of the Minister of State Security: State Security Agency :* National Intelligence Agency - now known as the Domestic branch :*

South African Secret Service The South African Secret Service (SASS) was the previous name of a South African intelligence agency. Currently, it is known as the Foreign Branch of the State Security Agency. It is responsible for all non-military foreign intelligence and fo ...

- now known as the Foreign branch :* National Communications Centre :* COMSEC (Electronic Communications Security (Pty) Ltd) :* South African National Academy of Intelligence National Intelligence Co-Ordinating Committee

List of Past Ministers

Minister of Intelligence Services, 1999-2009

Minister of State Security, 2009-2021

References

External links

Ministry of Intelligence Services

Business Technology News and Information Site
{{South Africa topics South African intelligence agencies

South Africa South Africa, officially the Republic of South Africa (RSA), is the Southern Africa, southernmost country in Africa. It is bounded to the south by of coastline that stretch along the Atlantic Ocean, South Atlantic and Indian Oceans; to the ...

State Security