Jaspreet Kindra
The investigation ordered into two of three senior African National Congress members named by Minister of Safety and Security Steve Tshwete as part of larger drive to uncover a plot to overthrow President Thabo Mbeki appears to be based on hearsay.
Former ANC Youth League leader James Nkambule, whose testimony prompted Tshwete to launch his investigations, told the Mail & Guardian this week that he had no proof that two of the three ANC members named Cyril Ramaphosa and Tokyo Sexwale were actively involved in the plot.
Nkambule, however, claimed the plot is being masterminded by former Mpumalanga premier Mathews Phosa, the third ANC member named by Tshwete.
And according to seven affidavits Nkambule has filed with the police, Phosa allegedly through an extensive disinformation campaign was attempting to discredit Mbeki. The plot appears to a political one and not criminal.
Nkambule said the disinformation campaign involved planting stories about Mbeki’s alleged role in the assassination of former South African Communist Party leader Chris Hani and the president’s alleged “womanising ways”.
Nkambule spoke to the M&G before he was instructed by the police involved in the investigation not to speak to the media.
He spoke at length about Phosa’s alleged involvement with diamond and arms smuggling and with Unita leader Jonas Savimbi. Phosa has refused to respond to any of Nkambule’s allegations.
Nkambule said he “had no reason to doubt then and now that Phosa might have met Ramaphosa and Sexwale once or twice to brief them”.
The former youth leader, however, admitted he only had Phosa’s word that he met Sexwale and Ramaphosa and regularly briefed them on his plan to discredit Mbeki. Nkambule said until the end of last year it appeared that Ramaphosa was earmarked for election as ANC president at the party’s national congress next year.
However, Phosa appeared to be aiming for the position for himself: “He stopped mentioning Cyril,” Nkambule said.
“I just want to tell Cyril if you have any contact [with Mathews Phosa], stop that.”
Asked if Phosa ever spoke about causing “physical harm” to Mbeki, Nkambule said: “No.” Tshwete has justified the police investigation on the basis that Mbeki’s “physical security” might be under threat.
Nkambule, however, defended Tshwete and said that rumours about Mbeki’s alleged involvement with Hani’s death or with a woman could incite an angry Hani supporter or husband to physically harm to the president.
Meanwhile, Nkambule revealed that in one his affidavits filed two weeks ago that Phosa was allegedly involved with Savimbi.
He claimed that in the course of last year, one of Phosa’s employees, allegedly dealing in diamonds, was kidnapped by Savimbi’s men in Angola.
Nkambule claimed that according to the conversations he was privy to with Phosa present, the employee was nabbed by Savimbi’s men with diamonds in his possession while he was on his way to the Democratic Republic of Congo.
He claimed that Savimbi demanded arms, including seven rocket launchers, in exchange for the employee’s freedom.
“I think Phosa arranged for the arms through his connections in Mozambique. He arranged to meet with Savimbi in August/September last year to see the deal through. Since questions could be raised about a South African leader meeting with a banned leader and the involvement of arms and diamonds, he took a supposed white journalist with him. He told me that should there be any complications, he could then say that Mandela had sent him to mediate.”
n Meanwhile, according to ANC sources in the Northern Province, Phosa was removed from the list of guest speakers at a fund-raising event for the party held in Pietersburg last month. The sources said Phosa’s removal came following instructions received “from upstairs”.