The President has assigned responsibility for the State Security Agency to Minister in the Presidency Mondli Gungubele. In a statement the Presidency says this is line with President Cyril Ramaphosa's announcement in August last year to do away with the Ministry of State Security and assign political responsibility for the State Security Agency to the Presidency. The statement says the Constitution, empowers the President to assume political responsibility for intelligence services other than those of the police or national defence force, or to designate a member of Cabinet to assume this responsibility. We thought to speak to someone who once occupied the post of Intelligence Minister to find out whether this is a smart move and also what it was like when he was in that post. 

Guest: Ronnie Kasrils – Former Minister of Intelligence under Thabo Mbeki’s government