The nature and issues in intelligence, with reference to the South African civilian intelligence services

ABSTRACT In the realm of security, intelligence remains a critical component. This is because the role of intelligence in statecraft is crucial in providing intelligence information in the advancement of state, national and human security. When the intelligence service of a nation has fault-lines, this critical role can be severely hampered and undermined. However, given the nature of intelligence work any assessment of intelligence services and their role is bedevilled by several factors which makes it difficult even at the best of times for the public to appreciate it. Considering the above, the central question is: How do we make reasonable and grounded conclusions on the efficacy and effectiveness of the South African civilian intelligence service, the State Security Agency? In this article, an argument is advanced that given the current political environment in South Africa, peripheral factors such as ‘the politics around intelligence’ and ‘intelligence around politics’ have created a picture of dysfunction which is not grounded in reality. This analytical article is grounded in autoethnography given the positionality of the author as a former insider and also draws from primary and secondary desktop material. The theoretical underpinning/ungirding this work is institutional autonomy.