The Rise of the Securocrats

The South African government stands accused of having fallen under the sway of the securocrats. Who, or what, are they? Securocrats are officials located in the security establishment – the police, intelligence services or the military – that have the power to influence government policy in their favour. When securocrats come to dominate government decision-making, the democratic life of a country can be threatened. This is because they can arrogate to themselves the power to subvert democratic processes to entrench their own power or the power of their favoured leader(s), and use the armed might of the state to suppress opponents of their political project. According to author and researcher, Paul Holden, the ANC has become dominated increasingly by the ‘securocrats and fat cats’ who have politicised the state, including the security services, to advantage Zuma and those around him. Holden is not the only person to say this. The ministry of state security’s introduction of the Protection of state information bill – a controversial Bill giving the security cluster and possibly other state institutions the power to classify information in an overbroad manner, and that is otherwise known as the Secrecy bill – has intensified perceptions that the securocrats are on the rise in South Africa. This is because the Bill has been driven by that Ministry in the main. In The rise of the securocrats Professor Duncan throws a spot- light on the hidden corners, murky bureaucracies and power grab that is currently underway. It is a much needed book.