The Rise of the Securocrats: The Case of South Africa

The South African government stands accused of having fallen under the sway of the securocrats. Who 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 favor. The ANC has become dominated increasingly by the securocrats who have politicized the state, including the security services, to the advantage of Zuma and those around him. The Rise of the Securocrats illustrates how when securocrats dominate government decision-making, the democratic life of a country can be threatened. Annexing the power to subvert democratic processes to entrench their own power or the power of their favored leaders, they also use the armed might of the state to suppress their political opponents. Duncan argues for the importance of keeping the security cluster under democratic, civilian control, and broadly accountable to the society they claim to serve.