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Presentation to Portfolio Committee on Vetting within Correctional Services : 2009/2010

11 November 2009

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CONTENTS

Introduction Current Structure of the Vetting Field Work Unit in DCS Personal Suitability Checks in DCS Progress on Personal Suitability Checks in DCS Progress on Vetting Current Constraints on Vetting and Mitigation of these

Constraints

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Introduction

• Vetting used to be the responsibility of the National Intelligence Agency

• The National Vetting Strategy was approved in December 2006, and the DCS Vetting Field Work Unit (VFU) was established in November 2007

• DCS and NIA signed a vetting Memorandum of understanding in March 2008

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CURRENT STRUCTURE OF THE VETTING FIELD WORK UNIT IN DCS

ACTING NATIONAL COMMISSIONER

JA Schreiner

DIRECTOR SECURITY STANDARDS

NC Madikiza

1 X DEPUTY DIRECTOR (L11) PHYSICAL SECURITY

Vacant

1 X DEPUTY DIRECTOR (L11) INFORMATION SECURITY

Vacant

1 X DEPUTY DIRECTOR (L12)VETTINGVacant

1 X SENIOR CORRECTIONAL OFFICER ADMINISTRATIVE SUPPORT

LEB Magaba SECRETARY

CO: BS Mahlangu

8 X ASSISTANT DIRECTOR VETTING INVESTIGATORS

FN JosephM GrieselNTL Shongwe5 posts vacant

4 X ASSISTANT DIRECTOR (L9)INFORMATION SECURITY

4 posts vacant

4 X ASSISTANT DIRECTOR (L9)PHYSICAL SECURITYSJ Sefodi3 posts vacant

2 x SENIOR CORRECTIONAL OFFICERADMINISTRATIVE SUPPORT

RN Somaru1post vacant

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PERSONAL SUITABILITY CHECKS IN DCS

• The implementation of the National Vetting Strategy, and a determination by the Minister for the DPSA required that the following minimum information must be verified, before appointment (referred to as Personal Suitability checks):-

– Criminal Record Checks.– Citizenship verification.– Financial/ Asset record checks.– Qualification verifications.– Previous employment verification.

• NIA assisted the DCS with financial and asset record checks from 2002 till current.

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PERSONAL SUITABILITY CHECKS IN DCS cont-

• NIA will continue to conduct citizenship verifications, and criminal record checks as part of its mandate

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PROGRESS ON PERSONAL SUITABILITY CHECKS IN DCS

• Number of Personal Suitability Checks on appointments received by the VFU since 1 April 2008 – 31 March 2009– 1489

• Number of Personal Suitability Checks on appointments finalized by the VFU period: 1 April 2008- 1 March 2009:-– 1473

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PROGRESS ON PERSONAL SUITABILITY CHECKS IN DCS

• Number of Personal Suitability Checks on appointments received by the VFU since 1 April 2009 – 31 October 2009:-– 636

• Number of Personal Suitability Checks on appointments finalized by the VFU period: 1 April 2009 - 31 October 2009:-– 624

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Personal Suitability Checks in the DCS

0

200

400

600

800

1000

1200

1400

1600

Apr 08 - Mar 09 Apr 09 - Oct 09

PSC Received

PSC Finalised

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PROGRESS ON VETTING

• Number of officials issued with security clearances:

• 2008: 255• 2009: 33 (until 31 October 2009)

• The reason for the decline in terms of security clearances issued is due to the lack of a service provider to conduct credit checks for the Department of Correctional Services. Currently NIA is still providing this function. NIA however has their own capacity problems and from there the decline in the clearances issued

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Security clearances issued in the DCS

0

50

100

150

200

250

300

2008 Jan 09 - Oct 09

Security clearancesissued

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PROGRESS ON VETTING cont-

• DCS is currently developing a vetting plan to prioritize vetting based on the recommendations of the Threat and Risk Assessment conducted by the NIA and SAPS, as well the internal risk assessment of DCS and the inherent requirements of posts, and the vulnerability of information and assets. This vetting plan is in the process of finalization.

• The VFU is also in process to verify the vetting of the following categories of staff as part of the priorities identified for vetting:-– Officials in the offices of the Ministry and the National

Commissioner.– Officials working in Maximum Correctional Centers– Officials having access to Persal– All SMS members

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CURRENT CONSTRAINTS ON VETTING AND MITIGATION OF THESE CONSTRAINTS

CONSTRAINTS MITIGATE

RESOURCES Lack of an external service provider to conduct credit record checks, assets and qualification verification.

BACKLOG OF VETTING IN DCS

Vetting Plan in process of finalization.Currently the Vetting Fieldwork is understaffed. Vacant posts were advertised in June 2008 and interviews conducted but due to the moratorium on posts within the DCS these posts were not filled.

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“Together doing more and better to break the cycle of crime”.