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President Ramaphosa Appoints Imtiaz Fazel As Inspector-General of Intelligence

South African president Cyril Ramaphosa has made an important appointment, naming Imtiaz Fazel as South Africa’s new inspector general of intelligence.

Fazel was nominated for the role in September and has only just assumed office today, November 1. his appointment by the president followed confirmation by the National Assembly.

About 25 people were said to have indicated an interest in the position. Of those, 12 were invited for and interviewed by the joint standing committee on intelligence (JSCI). The appointment of the new intelligence chief was in accordance with Section 210(b) of the Constitution.

According to the South African government, the Inspector-General monitors and reviews the operations of the intelligence services, including the State Security Agency, the Defence Intelligence Division of the South African National Defence Force and the Crime Intelligence Division of the South African Police Service.

Imtiaz Fazel’s appointment is for five years.

The appointment follows claims by the United States government that Sandton, one of the wealthiest suburbs in South Africa, is at risk of a terrorist attack. The claim had ruffled feathers in the government, forcing some government officials to deny that the area was at risk of a terrorist attack.

It remains to be seen what impact Imtiaz Fazel will have as the new intelligence chief.

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