DISGRACED anti-apartheid cleric Allan Boesak phoned top ANC politicians – including transport minister Dullah Omar – and a well-known Cape Town judge using a stolen cellphone from his cell in the Malmesbury prison, where he is serving a fraud sentence.
According to weekend newspaper reports, Omar confirmed that he had been telephoned by Boesak from prison, and was ?quite comfortable? about it.
“I also visited him in prison,” he said. “I have great respect for Dr Boesak. He made a great contribution. He is going through difficult times and his friends must stay his friends,” the City Press newspaper quoted Omar as saying.
Some of the jailed cleric’s conversations lasted up to 12 minutes. He apparently called, among others, Mcebisi Skwatsha, provincial secretary of the ANC; Ebrahim Rasool, ANC leader in the Western Cape; the Rev Frank Chikane, director general in the president’s office; and Charles Nqakula, former presidential advisor of Thabo Mbeki who was appointed deputy minister of home affairs.
Boesak apparently telephoned his wife Elna 21 times. He also called Archbishop Winston Ndungane of Cape Town, who often visited Boesak in prison, and the Rev Chris Nissen, former provincial leader of the ANC in the Western Cape who became a businessman.
Bheki Khumalo, presidential representative, denied on behalf of Chikane that he was ever phoned by Boesak. “Reverend Chikane has never spoken to Boesak since he went to jail,” he said.
The disclosure of the cellphone calls will probably mean Boesak will be charged with perjury, as he earlier stated he had never used the phone. His ten-month remission of sentence, for good behaviour, has also been forfeited.
Cameron Dugmore, representative for the ANC in the Western Cape, said politicians could “surely not help it if someone phones them from jail. The whole thing doesn’t sound so terrible to me. The fact that ANC members received phone calls from Allan Boesak or any other person is not an issue. Prisoners have the right to make phone calls?.
The Democratic Alliance said in a statement that the incident proved that Boesak “receives far more favourable treatment than others because of his political connections with high-profile ANC members”.
ZA*NOW:
Boesak may leave his cell early January 31, 2001