President Cyril Ramaphosa has appointed Imtiaz Fazel as the new Inspector General of Intelligence and he is expected to start his five-year term on Tuesday.
Fazel’s nomination for the position was approved by the National Assembly and he was appointed by the President in accordance with Section 210(b) of the Constitution, read in conjunction with Section 7(1) of the Intelligence Services Oversight Act of 1994.
A Press Release from the office of the Presidency disclosed the appointment.
It stated that Fazel’s appointment is a continuation of the attention President Ramaphosa is giving to strengthening the capability of the State, including the security sector.
“Mr Fazel is a former Chief Operating Officer – at the level of Deputy Director General – in the Office of the Inspector General of Intelligence and a former Deputy Director General in the Office of the Director General of the State Security Agency.
“From 2015 to 2020, he served as Deputy Director General: Governance, Risk and Compliance in the Department of Public Works, following which he served as Acting Director General in the Department of Public Works and Infrastructure.
“Mr Fazel has obtained a Master’s Degree in Security Studies from the University of Pretoria and holds a Bachelor of Accounting Science Degree from the University of South Africa. He holds a Post-Graduate Diploma in Accounting from the University of the Western Cape and is a member of the South African Institute of Chartered Accountants, among other achievements.”
In appointing him, the President offered Mr Fazel his best wishes and support in his new 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.
As Fazel takes on his new job, his role as the Inspector General includes monitoring and reviewing the operations of 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.
This approval came after 12 people were interviewed for the position by the Joint Standing Committee on Intelligence (JSCI).
