The Citizen reports that Minister in the Presidency, Khumbudzo Ntshavheni, has denied claims that the State Security Agency (SSA) is forcing employees over 50 to retire early or face dismissal.

The minister addressed these allegations in response to a parliamentary question by Democratic Alliance (DA) MP Dianne Kohler, who asked the minister about an alleged directive requiring SSA employees over 50 to retire early or be retrenched for operational reasons. She also asked how removing senior staff would help SA exit the Financial Action Task Force (FAFT) grey list and why 50 was chosen as the retirement age. Additionally, Kohler inquired about the SSA’s current staff numbers, how many held a top-secret security clearance, and how many had completed their mandatory five-year vetting. In her reply, Ntshavheni clarified that the SSA was implementing a voluntary severance package, not a compulsory one. She said the initiative aligned with the government early retirement programme announced in the 2024 Medium-Term Budget Policy Statement and emphasised that the severance plan was aimed at addressing skills gaps with the SSA. “This process will amongst others assist the SSA to address the skills and competency gaps as identified in the recently completed skills audit and competency assessments. In addition, the process will also address the professionalisation of the agency as recommended in the high-level review panel report,” Ntshavheni explained. Regarding security clearances, Ntshavheni confirmed that all SSA staff held valid clearances, with 9% currently undergoing re-vetting. She gave the assurance that the process would not affect the country’s progress in meeting FATF requirements.

• Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Molefe Seeletsa at The Citizen

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