The South African Intelligence Services This book is the first full history of South African intelligence and provides a detailed examination of the various stages in the evolution of South Afri- ca’s intelligence organisations and structures. Covering the apartheid period of 1948–1990, the transition from apart- heid to democracy of 1990–1994, and the post- apartheid period of new intelligence dispensation from 1994–2005, this book examines not only the apartheid government’s intelligence dispensation and operations, but also those of the African National Congress, and its partner, the South African Communist Party (ANC/SACP) – as well as those of other libera- tion movements and the “independent homelands” under the apartheid system. Examining the civilian, military and police intelligence structures and operations in all periods, as well as the extraordinarily complicated apartheid government’s security bureaucracy (or “securocracy”) and its structures and units, the book discusses how South Africa’s Cold War “position” influenced its relationships with various other world powers, especially where intelligence co- operation came to bear. It outlines South Africa’s regional relationships and concerns – the foremost being its activ- ities in South- West Africa (Namibia) and its relationship with Rhodesia through 1980. Finally, it examines the various legislative and other governance bases for the existence and operations of South Africa’s intelligence structures – in all periods – and the influences that such activities as the Rivonia Trial (at one end of the history) or the Truth and Reconciliation Commission (at the other end) had on the evolution of these intelligence questions throughout South Africa’s modern history. This book will be of great interest to all students of South African pol- itics, intelligence studies and international politics in general. Kevin A. O’Brien has served for a number of years as a senior advisor to Western government and critical infrastructure sectors on public security and intelligence matters. He is currently a senior analyst with the Govern- ment of Canada. He has a PhD in International Politics (Security Studies) from the University of Hull. Studies in Intelligence Series General Editors: Richard J. Aldrich and Christopher Andrew ISSN: 1368–9916 British Military Intelligence in the Intelligence Analysis and Palestine Campaign 1914–1918 Assessment Yigal Sheffy Edited by David Charters, A. Stuart Farson and Glenn P. Hastedt British Military Intelligence in the Crimean War, 1854–1856 TET 1968 Stephen M. Harris Understanding the surprise Ronnie E. Ford Signals Intelligence in World War II Edited by David Alvarez Intelligence and Imperial Defence British Intelligence and the Knowing Your Friends defence of the Indian Empire Intelligence inside alliances 1904–1924 and coalitions from 1914 to the Richard J. Popplewell Cold War Edited by Martin S. Alexander Espionage Past, present, future? Eternal Vigilance Edited by Wesley K. Wark 50 years of the CIA Edited by Rhodri Jeffreys- Jones and The Australian Security Intelligence Christopher Andrew Organization An unofficial history Nothing Sacred Frank Cain Nazi espionage against the Vatican, 1939–1945 Policing Politics David Alvarez and Security intelligence and the liberal Revd. Robert A. Graham democratic state Peter Gill Intelligence Investigations How Ultra changed history From Information to Intrigue Ralph Bennett Studies in Secret Service based on the Swedish Experience 1939–45 C.G. McKay Dieppe Revisited Intelligence Services in the A documentary investigation Information Age John Campbell Michael Herman More instructions from the centre Espionage and the Roots of the Christopher and Oleg Gordievsky Cold War The conspiratorial heritage Controlling intelligence David McKnight Edited by Glenn P. Hastedt Swedish Signal Intelligence Spy Fiction, Spy Films and Real 1900–1945 Intelligence C.G. McKay and Bengt Beckman Edited by Wesley K. 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Sirrs Sarah- Jane Corke The South African Intelligence Stasi Services Shield and sword of the party From apartheid to democracy, John C. Schmeidel 1948–2005 Kevin A. O’Brien The South African Intelligence Services From apartheid to democracy, 1948–2005 Kevin A. O’Brien First published 2011 by Routledge 2 Park Square, Milton Park, Abingdon, Oxon OX14 4RN Simultaneously published in the USA and Canada by Routledge 270 Madison Avenue, New York, NY 10016 Routledge is an imprint of the Taylor & Francis Group, an informa business This edition published in the Taylor & Francis e-Library, 2011. To purchase your own copy of this or any of Taylor & Francis or Routledge’s collection of thousands of eBooks please go to www.eBookstore.tandf.co.uk. © 2011 Kevin A. O’Brien The right of Kevin A. O’Brien to be identified as author of this work has been asserted by him in accordance with sections 77 and 78 of the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988. All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reprinted or reproduced or utilised in any form or by any electronic, mechanical, or other means, now known or hereafter invented, including photocopying and recording, or in any information storage or retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publishers. British Library Cataloguing in Publication Data A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library Library of Congress Cataloging- in-Publication Data O’Brien, Kevin A. The South African intelligence services: from apartheid to democracy, 1948–2005/Kevin A. O’Brien. p. cm. 1. Intelligence service–South Africa–History. 2. National security– South Africa–History. 3. South Africa–Politics and government. I. Title. JQ1929.I6O37 2010 327.1268009'045–dc22 2010017317 ISBN 0-203-84061-5 Master e-book ISBN ISBN13: 978-0-415-43397-6 (hbk) ISBN13: 978-0-203-84061-0 (ebk) For my girls Contents List of illustrations xi Acknowledgements xii List of abbreviations xvi 1 Introduction: South African intelligence in revolution and counter-r evolution 1948–2005 1 2 The birth of South Africa’s intelligence capability and the rise of the “securocracy”, 1948–1972 13 3 “Total Strategy” and the “securocratisation” of the government, 1972–1978 41 4 Hydra: the rise of the national intelligence and counter-r evolutionary structures, 1978–1983 63 5 Carrot and stick: the domestic COIN paradigm, 1980–1985 95 6 The assassins’ web: the growth of counter- revolutionary warfare intelligence, 1979–1985 116 7 Crossing the Rubicon: “the gloves come off ” for a total counter-r evolutionary strategy, 1985–1990 138 8 Negotiating a settlement: reform and retrenchment for all, 1990–1994 172 9 Progress and problems: South Africa’s new intelligence dispensation, 1994–2005 204