Minister in the Presidency responsible for the State Security Agency Khumbudzo Ntshavheni has denied there were tensions between her and former spy boss Thembi Majola, leading to her resignation.
Majola has been the Director-General in the State Security Agency for more than a year.
The presidency announced last week that Majola resigned from her position after mutual consent.
Ntshavheni. who was briefing the media on Monday, denied claims that there was a fallout between her and Majola.
She said before she was appointed minister in the presidency responsible for SSA in March this year, Majola had resigned, but President Cyril Ramaphosa turned down her resignation.
In April, Majola tendered her resignation again and Ramaphosa asked her to stay on until the end of November.
This would have allowed for Ntshavheni to settle in her new position and to have stability in SSA.
Ntshavheni said there was no truth to claims that there was a fallout between the two of them.
She said they got on very well together. She added that she has five DGs reporting to her, it did not make sense she would have a fallout with one DG.
It was not correct to suggest that there was a fallout between her and Majola, she said.
“On the fallout, there was no fallout. The DG had resigned before I joined SSA, before I was appointed minister in the presidency responsible for SSA, the president declined that resignation.
“On March 7 I was appointed minister. On April 17 the DG resigns, the president accepts the resignation. What fallout will there be between March 7 and April 17 that will necessitate a DG and a minister having a fallout. The DG resigns and the president accepts the resignation, but the president says DG can we agree that you cannot leave immediately. You will allow us to have stability, including the minister settling in, agree on the date of exit. The president and DG agreed that the DG exits on November 30.
“I don’t know about this fallout. The relationship has been professional throughout. She is an amazing woman and she is a patriot. There has not been a fallout between me and her. Like in another course of work, the people hold different opinions. I don’t only have one DG. I have five DGs that report to me. I run five departments. Why would I have a fallout with one DG and not the others. I run very critical departments in this government, why would I choose one?” Ntshavheni said.
She said despite reports of tensions between her and Majola, there was no truth to this.