28 February 2003
Programme Director,
The Honourable Minister for Intelligence Services,
Honourable Ministers and Deputy Ministers,
Honourable Premier of the North West Province,
MPs and MPLs,
The family of the late comrade Mzwandile Piliso,
Members of the Intelligence Community,
Distinguished Guests,
Ladies and gentlemen,
I feel honoured indeed to have been invited to address this illustrious occasion, where we are launching the new South African National Academy for Intelligence.
I am indeed happy to be with you today, especially given the fond memories we have of the late comrade, Mzwandile Piliso, after whom the main campus will be named. In addition, given the fact that I am a former practitioner of this craft, I feel at home in the intelligence community.
The establishment of this academy is a recognition of the fact that intelligence has become an indispensable tool in the management of modern states operating in an increasingly complex world. It has become a key factor in decision-making processes of government around the world.
I think it is important right at the outset to say that intelligence in this country is no longer a euphemism for dirty tricks under a heavy veil of secrecy. That era is long past. In this era of democracy we are not in the business of operating outside the confines of the Constitution as spelt out in the White Paper on intelligence of 1994. We have created a number of civilian oversight mechanisms of which the Joint Standing Committee on intelligence is one. We are honoured to have so many of their members present here today. Gone are the days when brutal interrogation and violence could be associated with intelligence. That actually distorts a proper understanding of intelligence.
To define it precisely, however, is not an easy thing to do. There is a lively debate in academic circles on the exact definition and scope of intelligence. The difference in defining the nature of intelligence often differs from country to country in accordance with how they perceive their security challenges
In some countries intelligence is confined to the external environment, while other countries regard the domestic terrain as a legitimate field of interest for intelligence. I want to stress that the role of intelligence in South Africa is to create greater knowledge and understanding to impact positively in the decision-making processes.
It acts in a special way as the security adviser to government by providing adequate early warning on obstacles on the road to good governance, whether here or abroad. Intelligence is thus primarily in the business of information gathering, processing and management. Because we live in the information age, where the distinction between reality and virtual reality can easily become blurred, our operatives face a huge challenge.
Information is flooding the decision-making systems of governments and produces an overload of information as well as disinformation. Intelligence assists governments in making sense out of this avalanche. Intelligence must be, as the Minister of Intelligence Service is found to put it, at the centre of government. This simply means that no government decision should be taken without the implications thoroughly taken into account. If we accept this as a key principle, then we are left with even a bigger challenge as intelligence community. The challenge is that if intelligence is to be the centre of government then it means it must be correct and scientifically accurate.
People sometimes portray intelligence essentially as the business of spying. This is not entirely true, as I have just indicated. There is a lot more to this field of expertise than only espionage, although this also forms an indispensable component. The academy we have gathered to launch today will of course be able to outline to students the exact nature of this area of work, and I am sure the country and government will be richer from the output of this college.
Given the kind of world we live in and the security challenges we face, we definitely need a high-class intelligence service in our country. In this regard I am specifically thinking of terrorism and other forms of violent extremism where intelligence has the obligation to collect information in a covert way.
Ladies and gentlemen, the history of intelligence in South Africa certainly had its downside as was clearly demonstrated during the hearings of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission. But on the other hand, let me also pay tribute to the positive contribution of the intelligence community in bringing about a new democratic dispensation in South Africa. Many of these activities and processes still remain unknown to the majority of South Africans. One day, when some of us record our experiences, we will be able to share the wonderful work that these compatriots did, for the good of our country.
I would like to take this opportunity to thank some of them who may be here today. A few books and articles have already made mention of this, but the full story remains to be told. When the full story is told we will then realize how useful intelligence can be if it is in the hands of the right people.
Ladies and Gentlemen, I would like to appeal to this Academy to devote some time and resources to do more research on the role intelligence played at that critical juncture in our history. I do think South African intelligence has set an example that deserves to be noted in the annals of world history.
Most importantly, we must also unearth and be proud of the long history of intelligence in this country. Since the days of ilembe, Inkosi uShaka, our people were already engaged in intelligence activities using ingenious methods to inform their decisions. We really need more literature on this rich history.
It is very unfortunate that many of the veterans of the struggle, of which Mzwandile Piliso was one, passed away without putting the wealth of their experiences on paper for the benefit of future generations.
I believe it is an important task of the Academy to see to it that this heritage is captured as South African history for us all, and also to be used as material for the training of our intelligence operators. We can only enrich ourselves if we continue to learn from history.
Fellow South Africans, it is no accident that this new institution is called an academy. We are well aware that it was established to train our intelligence operatives to excel at their unique craft. We want to ensure that they reach a level of excellence in the field that can compare with the best in the world.
But skills training is not all that it will be involved with. We expect this academy to also reflect profoundly on the business they are in, which is increasingly assuming a multi-disciplinary character. We expect the new Academy to educate and empower people to operate at the highest levels of decision-making in the country. They would only be able to do so if they are thoroughly grounded in the environment they operate in.
Understanding modern statecraft is an essential academic discipline for intelligence officers serving the higher echelons of government. With access to both the world of theory and practice, which is not always accessible to researchers outside government, it can provide education of special value and importance.
It is imperative for our intelligence community to benefit from comparative research and training. They must look at the best decision-making systems in the world to hone their own skills and understanding and adapt it to our specific circumstances.
I wish the Academy well in all its future endeavors and I am confident that it will contribute significantly to prepare our future intelligence practitioners.
I also wish that it would make its expertise available to the broader government structures and even our continent in support of the African Union and its programmes including NEPAD.
In conclusion I want to thank the Minister for Intelligence Services for her foresight and initiative. I am convinced that her dream will bear abundant fruit in future and that this institution will make a significant contribution to increase the performance of our intelligence, and by extension that of the Government.
I am confident that this Academy will further strengthen our resolve and efforts to build a better life for all our people, free from poverty, hunger and disease. It will no doubt greatly enhance the quality of intelligence on which our Government bases its policies.
I now declare the South African National Academy for Intelligence officially open and name its main campus the Mzwandile Piliso Campus.
I Thank You.