President Cyril Ramaphosa has suspended the Inspector-General of Intelligence, Imtiaz Fazel, with immediate effect pending the outcome of a parliamentary investigation into his conduct.
The suspension, announced on Wednesday evening, is pending the Parliament’s Joint Standing Committee on Intelligence (JSCI) into Fazel’s conduct.
Suspension linked to a complaint
“The JSCI has informed president Ramaphosa that it has received a complaint on the conduct of the Inspector-General and that the committee will conduct an investigation in line with sections 7(4) and 7(5) of the Intelligence Services Act (Act 40 of 1994),” the Presidency said in a statement.
The Act states that “if the inspector-general is the subject of an investigation by the (JSCI) in terms of subsection (4), he or she may be suspended by the president pending a decision in such investigation.”
Fazel’s suspension will remain effective until the committee concludes its probe and makes a decision.
Experienced bureaucrat
Fazel was appointed to the post on November 1 2022 for a five-year term after Parliament approved his nomination.
Under the Intelligence Services Oversight Act, the JSCI recommends a candidate to Parliament for approval by at least two-thirds of members before submitting the name to the president for a formal appointment. Fazel’s appointment was made in line with Section 210(b) of the Constitution and Section 7(1) of the Act.
As inspector-general, Fazel was responsible for monitoring and reviewing the work of South Africa’s intelligence services, including the State Security Agency, the Defence Intelligence Division of the South African National Defence Force, and the Crime Intelligence Division of the South African Police Service, to ensure their activities remain lawful and accountable.
Before taking up the position, Fazel served in several senior government roles. He was chief operating officer in the office of the inspector-general of intelligence and deputy director-general in the office of the director-general of the State Security Agency.
Between 2015 and 2020, he worked as deputy director-general for governance, risk, and compliance in the Department of Public Works and later as acting director-general in the same department.
When announcing his appointment in 2022, the Presidency said: “The President offers Mr Fazel his best wishes and support in his role as Inspector-General of Intelligence, which is a critical function that contributes to making the country and the world a safer place and advancing the country’s national interest.”
