State Security Agency

The merger of the former National Intelligence Agency (NIA) and the South African Secret Service (SASS) in 2009 led to the formation of an amalgamated State Security Agency. The new Agency was aimed at developing a more effective and efficient Intelligence Architecture for South Africa. In terms of Section 209 of the South African Constitution, Act 108 of 1996, the President appointed a member of the Executive or a Cabinet Minister to assume political responsibility for the control and direction of the Civilian Intelligence Service. The mandate of the SSA is to provide the government with intelligence on domestic and foreign threats or potential threats to national stability, the constitutional order, and the safety and wellbeing of our people. Examples of such threats are terrorism, sabotage and subversion. This allows the government to implement policies to deal with potential thre