PRETORIA, April (ANA)- The Director-General of the State Security Agency Arthur Fraser was on Tuesday abruptly moved to the Department of Correctional Services.
A statement issued by Brian Dube, spokesperson for the ministry of state security, said: "A decision has been taken to transfer the Director-General of the State Security Agency, Mr Arthur Fraser to the Department of Correctional Services.
"The transfer follows consultation between President Cyril Ramaphosa, the Minister of State Security, Ms Dipuo Letsatsi-Duba and Mr Fraser on the suitable location of the Director-General. The transfer has been agreed upon with Mr Fraser and will be effective with immediate effect."
Dube added Loyiso Jafta has been appointed to act as the DG at the SSA in the meantime
Jafta holds a B Iuris degree from the Walter Sisulu University and has extensive experience in the intelligence field which dates back to his days in Umkhonto WeSizwe where he served as an analyst in the Department of Intelligence and Security, added Dube.
Jafta has also previously served in numerous roles which include as an analyst within the counterintelligence division of the former National Intelligence Agency, client liaison officer at the National Intelligence Coordinating Committee (NICOC), convenor of the Provincial Intelligence Coordinating Committee for KwaZulu Natal province, and has been tasked with responsibility over the South African government’s Justice, Crime Prevention and Security and the International Relations, Peace and Security clusters as a member of the Policy Coordination and Advisory Services unit in the Presidency.
“The President and Minister [Letsatsi-Duba] are confident that Mr Jafta is a suitable candidate to provide guided focus to the practical implementation of the institution’s legal mandate, and that he will capably lead the State Security Agency in the period in which he serves as the acting Director-General,” said Dube.
Last week Inspector General of Intelligence (IGI) Setlhomamaru Dintwe brought an urgent interdict to ask the Gauteng North High Court it to bar Fraser from interfering with his duties.
Dintwe claimed Fraser had allegedly sought to revoke his security clearance and had interfered with his functions while he was investigating a complaint lodged against the SSA director general.
The application by Dintwe, for an interdict against Fraser, is set to be heard in the High Court in Pretoria on Thursday.
Dintwe filed papers in the court last week, making shocking claims that Fraser had been obstructing the functioning of his office in order to stop the watchdog body from investigating serious allegations against him.
Fraser has allegedly abused state security funds, according to claims in journalist Jacques Pauw's book 'The President's Keepers', which outlines former president Jacob Zuma's alleged abuse of intelligence structures to safeguard his political power.
In a statement from Dintwe last week, he claimed that Fraser was behind attempts to strip him of his security clearance and to suspend him.
He said Fraser's actions were unconstitutional and he had no choice but to turn to the courts, adding that he had repeatedly been intimidated to the point where he needed to ask the court to help to ensure his personal safety.
"There is no lawful reason or basis for the revocation of my security clearance. The only purpose for revoking my security clearance is to prevent me from investigating the Director-General (Fraser). This is obviously unlawful and an attack on my office and the Constitution. Furthermore, state resources are used by the Director-General to undermine my office and prevent investigation against him," Dintwe said.
- African News Agency (ANA)
