Report of the Joint Standing Committee on Intelligence, dated 5 November 2003:

The Joint Standing Committee on Intelligence, having met on 5 November 2003, wishes to report as follows:

The Committee welcomes the appointment of the Hefer Commission.

However, the Committee views with alarm and serious concern the issuing of subpoenas by the Hefer Commission to South Africa's Intelligence and Security Services compelling them to provide classified and or sensitive information that will purportedly serve the Commission's purpose. Ignoring the provisions of the law relating to national security in order to satisfy the objectives of the Hefer Commission will have serious consequences for South Africa both domestically and internationally.

The role of the Committee, amongst other things, is to ensure that South Africas' Intelligence and Security Services protect and preserve the country's national security, the defence of the Republic and the investigation, combating of crime and the protection of classified and or sensitive information in their possession. It is a universally accepted principle that information in the possession of the Intelligence Services cannot be made public. This includes especially the names of sources, agents, operatives and identities of members.

The Committee therefore supports the position of the Intelligence Services as presented to the Hefer Commission.

We believe that the Intelligence and Security Services should not be embroiled in this matter and that those who have brought the matter into the public domain, should provide the basis for their allegations to be tested by the Commission without causing databases and files of the Intelligence and Security Services to be inspected at great risk to the Constitutional mandate of these structures.