‘During Pikoli’s tenure the turf war between agencies erupted’

Since 1994 there has been a high turnover of spy bosses, with many leaving under a cloud.

South Africa’s security agencies have in recent years experienced turmoil at leadership level.

Xolani Xundu looks back.

Vusi Mavimbela

Appointed director-general of the National Intelligence Agency in November 1999, Mavimbela served his full five-year contract.

He reportedly asked President Thabo Mbeki not to renew his contract because he wanted to leave the public sector. He joined ANC presidential hopeful and businessman Tokyo Sexwale’s Mvelaphanda Holdings as executive director for business strategy and African expansion.

Mavimbela was NIA boss when former prosecutions boss Bulelani Ngcuka was accused of having been an apartheid-era spy by former transport minister Mac Maharaj and ex-spy Mo Shaik.

Bulelani Ngcuka

Ngcuka built the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) and its investigative arm, the Scorpions, from scratch. The elite unit was seen as SA’s answer to the FBI.

He fell out of favour when he started investigating ANC chief whip Tony Yengeni, Maharaj and ANC deputy president Jacob Zuma, for alleged improper influence in a controversial arms procurement package which became known as the “arms deal”.

In 2003, Ngcuka concluded his investigation of Zuma by saying there was a prima facie case of corruption against the then national deputy president, but that he would not prosecute Zuma as the case was not winnable.

Shortly after this announcement it was alleged that Ngcuka had been an apartheid spy.

A commission of inquiry headed by retired judge Joost Hefer found he had “probably never” been an apartheid spy.

Ngcuka asked to be relieved of his duties before his contract expired.

General Siphiwe Nyanda

Nyanda took command of the South African National Defence Force in June 1998 after having been the ANC’s deputy head of the military underground inside South Africa for nearly 12 years.

He left the army at the end of May 2005, only weeks before Zuma was sacked by Mbeki as the country’s deputy president.

Despite an announcement that Nyanda had requested early retirement, many believe he was pressured into leaving because he was sympathetic to Zuma.

Vusi Pikoli

Pikoli took over as NPA boss in January 2005 and a few months later charged Zuma for corruption.

The announcement followed the successful conviction of Zuma’s former financial adviser Schabir Shaik on corruption charges.

Before that, he was director-general in the department of justice, the same department he had been a special adviser to since 1994.

During his tenure, the turf war between the Scorpions, SAPS and NIA erupted.

Pikoli was responsible for putting out many fires that flared between Ngcuka, National Police Commissioner Jackie Selebi and the then NIA director-general, Billy Masetlha.

Mbeki suspended Pikoli last week for what the government described as an “irretrievable breakdown” in relations between the NPA boss and Justice Minister Brigitte Mabandla.

He is facing an inquiry on whether he is fit to be head of the NPA.

Billy Masetlha

Masetlha was director- general of the South African Secret Service from 1996 to December 1999. He replaced Mike Louw, who headed the service from its inception in January1995 to April 1996.

In 2000, Masetlha became director-general of home affairs and he held a number of security-sensitive positions in the presidency before his appointment as the head of the NIA in 2005.

He was fired last year.

Once a trusted Mbeki confidant, Masetlha is the only spy boss Mbeki has fired publicly, following the botched surveillance of ANC businessman Saki Macozoma.

Masetlha is also accused of fabricating e-mails purporting to be communications between members of Mbeki’s inner circle on how to destroy the political careers of Zuma and ANC secretary-general Kgalema Motlanthe.

Former NIA deputy director-general Gibson Njenje and counter-intelligence chief Bob Mahlanga have since held the position.

Barry Gilder

The former National Intelligence Co-ordinating Committee head is retiring at the end of this month.

During his tenure he was responsible for co-ordinating intelligence between the intelligence units of the SAPS and SANDF, and the NIA and SASS.

Gilder remains unsullied by the scandals rocking SA’s intelligence services.

With acknowledgement to Xolani Xundu  and The Times.