By Louise Flanagan
If the new head of South Africa's intelligence services gets post for some of his businesses, he will have to pick it up at the Iraqi embassy.
New State Security Agency (SSA) Director-General (DG) Mzuvukile Jeff Maqetuka retains interests in at least 14 businesses.
His colleague, newly appointed DG of the National Intelligence Agency (NIA) Lizo Gibson Njenje, is an even busier man, with links to at least 30 businesses.
Public servants must get permission to make money outside their jobs, and anyone appointed to the intelligence services must undergo a security clearance.
Both men have held senior positions at various times in the intelligence structures, and some of their business interests overlapped with this.
Continues Below ↓
While the private business dealings appear unseemly for senior officials paid full-time by the government for many years, particularly in intelligence work, Maqetuka's dealings may have given him the edge in landing his current job - for 12 years he has been in business with a top NIA operative, and for three years with another businessman trusted by the NIA to help keep a watch over government communications.
NIA spokeswoman Lorna Daniels said Maqetuka was outside the country and could not be contacted, while Njenje had indicated he would resign from his businesses.
Daniels said that despite what the electronic records of the Company and Intellectual Property Registration Office (Cipro) said, this did not mean that the individuals concerned had not already resigned.
"Furthermore, all financial interest is declared to check for any conflict of interest. The individuals concerned had always done this as is required by public sector legislation. The same applies to their recent appointment to the State Security Agency," said Daniels.
Continues...
|