[4] At that time, the ANC was confronting the aftermath of the Travelgate scandal, which saw several private travel agencies liquidated after they colluded with parliamentarians to defraud Parliament.
[10] The ANC did not nominate Burgess for re-election in the 2014 general election, and the media immediately speculated that he was in line for an ambassadorial post or a position at the State Security Agency.
Most opposition parties were strongly opposed to Burgess's appointment, primarily because of his role in exonerating Zuma, defending the Secrecy Bill, and otherwise promoting "the government line".
[13][2] On two occasions, in June and November 2015, the ANC scheduled votes on Burgess's appointment and then withdrew the motion because they could not count on the requisite majority.
[2] In March 2016, the ANC announced that it would refer the matter back to the intelligence committee for reconsideration: it said that it had no doubts that Burgess was a suitable candidate but had decided that further consensus-building would be appropriate.