OWN CORRESPONDENT, Johannesburg | Wednesday
FORMER premiers Tokyo Sexwale and Mathews Phosa have scorned allegations that they are part of a plot aimed at toppling President Thabo Mbeki. Former ANC party secretary-general Cyril Ramaphosa was also named on SA television as being part of the scheme.
All three, who still have significant political support in the ruling party, are now well-known businessmen.
Both Sexwale and Phosa have briskly rejected the allegations, the Cape Argus reports.
”It is rubbish. What are they talking about, it is really crazy,” the newspaper quoted Phosa as saying.
He said the allegations had been rife for two years. ”The allegations are not worthy of any comment, it is rubbish. They accuse us of horrendous things and that is a provocation. I am not going to jump around as if I am guilty.”
Sexwale also denied the allegations. His colleague Clyde Johnson, a director of Sexwale’s Mvelaphanda Holdings, commented on his behalf: ”It is complete hogwash. I do not know where it comes from,” he said.
The allegations were apparently brought to the attention of the Safety and Security ministry by former Mpumalanga ANC Youth League leader James Nkambule, who was being investigated for fraud, reports the Argus.
Safety and Security Minister Steve Tshwete said they would not dismiss Nkambule’s allegations because ”he was pretty close to some of the leaders [who are alleged to be behind the plot]”.
Tshwete said the allegations under investigation included the running of a disinformation campaign against Mbeki. The campaign suggested Mbeki was behind the death of former SA Communist Party leader and leadership competitor Chris Hani.
”This rumour can set the president up to be harmed because Hani was loved by the people. It can put the president in danger, not only as the president of the ANC but as head of state,” Tshwete said.
Mbeki on Tuesday charged that rivals within the ANC were conspiring to oust him, but he did not give any names.
”People have got natural ambitions. Some people want to be president of South Africa, that’s fine,” Mbeki said in an interview on the private e-tv channel.
”The matter that’s arising is the manner in which people pursue their ambitions.”
Asked: ”Is it getting dirty?” he replied: ”That’s part of the problem, the manner in which some people do this … you get all sorts of crazy things.
”It’s a conspiratorial thing … you have business people who say ‘we’ve set up a fund to promote our particular candidate, we’ll then try to influence particular journalists to present an image’,” he said.
”Let’s have an open debate about anything, including the presidency,” Mbeki urged.
The president said his physical safety was not a problem, although Safety and Security Tshwete said last weekend that intelligence units were investigating claims of plots to oust Mbeki that put him in danger.
”As far back as last year we picked up clandestine activities involving certain individuals and we are monitoring this on a day-to-day basis to ensure that the president is safe,” Tshwete said. – AFP
ZA*NOW:
Top ANC men probed in Mbeki plot April 25, 2001
ANC to purge Mbeki rivals April 23, 2001