Speaker, die skorsing van genl-maj Chris Ngcobo, waarnemende hoof van die polisie se Misdaad Intelligensie-eenheid, oor teenstrydighede met sy kwalifikasies, is 'n ernstige vingerverwysing na die staat van disfunksionaliteit waarin die eenheid alreeds verval het.
Ernstige vrae moet gevra word oor waarom die ongerymdhede rondom Ngcobo nou eers op die lappe kom nadat hy reeds in Junie verlede jaar in die pos aangestel is. Die eenheid is ironies genoeg juis veronderstel om die spesialis op die gebied van hierdie tipe inligting te wees. Die eenheid spesialiseer onder meer in koverte optredes en meeluistering en is die regering se o en ore om inligting te bekom wat as 'n bedreiging vir die staat beskou kan word. Dit is alombekend dat Ngcobo 'n voormalige lyfwag en vertroueling is van President Jacob Zuma. Is dit hoekom dit so lank geneem het om agter te kom dat daar teenstrydighede is met sy kwalifikasies?
Uit hoofde van sy amp, sou hy op internasionale vlak met ampsgenote gepraat en inligting uitgeruil het. Daarvoor moes hy oor die hoogste sekerheidsverklaring beskik het. Dis moeilik om te aanvaar dat daar nou eers met sy kwalifikasies fout gevind word. Dit is ook werklik skrikwekkend dat 'n eenheid met soveel mag so totaal disfunksioneel kan raak. Dit maak Suid-Afrika 'n bespotting van die internasionale intelligensiegemeenskap en behoort elke Suid-Afrikaner tot onrustigheid te stem, want die gevolg is dat misdaad sal gedy. (Translation of Afrikaans Member's Statement follows.)
[Mr P J GROENEWALD (FF Plus): Speaker, the suspension of Major General Chris Ngcobo, acting chief of the police's Crime and Intelligence Unit, because of contradictions regarding his qualifications, is a serious indication of the dysfunctional state the unit has already fallen into.
Serious questions must be raised as to why the irregularities regarding Ngcobo surfaced only now, after he had already been appointed to the post in June last year. The unit, ironically enough, is supposed to be the specialists in the field of this type of information. The unit specialises, among other things, in covert actions and eavesdropping, and is the government's eyes and ears to get information that can be considered a threat to the state. It is widely known that Ngcobo is a former bodyguard and confidant of President Jacob Zuma. Is this the reason it took so long to realise that there are contradictions regarding his qualifications?
In his position, he would have conversed at international level with counterparts and exchanged information. For that he must have had the highest security clearance. It is hard to believe that some objections are only now raised regarding his qualifications. It is also really alarming that a unit with so much power can become so totally dysfunctional. It makes South Africa the laughing stock of the international intelligence community and should give every South African cause for concern, because crime will flourish as a result.]