Late developments at NIA - parliamentary statement (25 October 2005)At the outset we should commend the Minister for acting swiftly when the illicit surveillance was discovered. He has hopefully sent a message to all intelligence and government officials that illicit activities of this nature will not be tolerated. The investigation of the matter will also hopefully identify the management and oversight failures that led to this abuse of power.
However, none of this addresses the fundamental underlying problem. Leadership and control of the ruling party is being contested; and because the line between party and state has been blurred over the past number of years, the internal ANC contest for power is surfacing in Government institutions.
The dangers to national security, and the instability that this can bring, cannot be exaggerated. The truth is that there is a palpable sense of paranoia in Government and ANC circles; and paranoia is a cancer that spreads quickly and disrupts governance and service delivery.
It is time for decisive leadership and tangible proof that Government resources will not be abused in pursuit of party political agendas.