Johannesburg - State Security Minister Ayanda Dlodlo has said a polygraph test, which forms part of the granting of a top secret clearance, was not conducted on a newly-appointed director for the foreign branch of State Security Agency (SSA).
Dlodlo blamed the failure to do the test on Covid-19 pandemic as a measure to reduce chances of possible transmission of the virus.
She revealed this when responding to parliamentary questions from Freedom Front Plus Pieter Groenewald, who asked the criteria for vetting and whether Robert McBride obtained the top secret clearance.
McBride was appointed to his SSA post from July 1 until June 2023 in a move designed to bring organisational stability to the agency.
He took over from Joyce Mashele who acted in that position.
In her response, Dlodlo explained the criteria for top secret security clearance which include the successful completion of the vetting process and the verification of the applicant’s records.
Dlodlo said in the case of McBride the request for the vetting to the level of a Top Secret was received from the Independent Police Investigative Directorate (Ipid) on October 5, 2018.
She said when his employment at the Ipid was later terminated, the Department of Public Service and Administration requested the SSA to transfer his top secret clearance to them on April 23, 2020.
The minister said SSA acting director-general Loyiso Jafta enquired about the progress on the vetting of McBride on June 29 and the agency's human resource consultant also enquired about his vetting the following day.
She said McBride was contacted to avail himself for a personal interview on July 1 and other vetting processes kicked in.
"As per the approved Standard Operating Procedure on vetting fieldwork investigation, a polygraph test for a top-secret clearance is required.
"However, due to the current Covid-19 pandemic, a polygraph examination could not be conducted, the specific reason being that the procedure would require the polygraph examiner to be in close proximity of the subject in a closed area for an extended period; thus exposing them (polygraph examiner/subject) to a possible transmission of the virus."
Dlodlo said since all the other tests had resulted in a positive outcome, the security clearance was issued on condition that as soon as the Covid-19 infection rate flattens, the polygraph examination would be conducted.
Political Bureau