The Minister in the Presidency, Khumbudzo Ntshavheni, is facing renewed scrutiny over delays in the release of key national security documents promised during her 2024 budget speech. Despite commitments to publish both the National Security Strategy (NSS) and the 2024/25 National Intelligence Estimates (NIE) by September and August 2024 respectively, neither document has been made public as of mid-2025.
The NSS is intended to guide the government’s overall approach to national security, while the NIE assesses the country’s threat landscape and identifies priority risks. The NSS is particularly important given the current lack of a formal white paper meant to guide national security and foreign policy, to crucial aspects required for providing direction to the South African National Defence Force (SANDF). Given SANDF’s current turmoil, the release of NSS is seen as vital by members of parliament, across the political spectrum.
The delay prompted a written parliamentary question from Democratic Alliance MP Chris Hattingh. After an initial inquiry in October 2024, Hattingh posed a follow-up question on 23 May 2025, as to when the NSS or a redacted version would be released and why publication had not occurred since the document’s finalisation.
In her response, Minister Ntshavheni stated that the revision of the release date was due to ongoing consultations and legal guidance regarding the implications of publishing material produced by national intelligence structures. She cited the need to balance constitutional obligations under Section 198 and the National Strategic Intelligence Act (Act 39 of 1994). While affirming her commitment to the release, Ntshavheni said the NSS would be published once these processes were concluded, preferably before her next budget vote speech, which is scheduled for 15 July 2025.
This delay is despite Ntshavheni statement in her 2024 budget speech that the strategy was already approved by Cabinet, following consultation with the National Intelligence Co-ordinating Committee (NICOC) and the Joint Standing Committee on Intelligence (JSCI). Further, Ntshavheni noted that “in accordance with the law and best practice,” the NSS would be released in September 2024.
The 2024/25 NIE, which was also expected to be released in August 2024, has similarly not been made public. There has been no formal update on its status or whether a new estimate has since been prepared for the 2025/26 financial year.
The continued non-publication of both documents raises concerns about transparency and accountability in the intelligence sector. While some degree of classification is expected in national security matters, the lack of even a redacted or summarised NSS contrasts with international practices in democratic governance, where strategic frameworks are often published in abridged form to allow public and parliamentary scrutiny.
The delays in publishing the NSS and NIE come amid broader calls for reform and transparency in the intelligence sector, following the recommendations of the High-Level Review Panel on the State Security Agency, which emphasised the need for improved public accountability.
With no new publication date confirmed, attention will likely remain on the Ministry’s commitment to openness and whether these key strategic documents will be released within the current financial year.
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