There is no trace of a letter purportedly sent to the President Thabo Mbeki to warn him about the recent Soweto bombings, the presidency said on Wednesday.
Representative Bheki Khumalo said in Pretoria: ”We have checked and re-checked all our records and found no such letter.”
Defence Intelligence officer Lieutenant-Colonel Goodman Manyanya Phiri has claimed he wrote to the president, prior to the October 30 Soweto bombings, to reveal that he had intercepted information about the blasts.
Khumalo said the presidency had in the past received
correspondence from Phiri, the nature of which could not be disclosed.
”We have referred those letters to the defence ministry. The last one we received from him was on September 2, and it made no mention of bombings.”
SA National Defence Force representative Lieutenant Ronald Maseko said an internal investigation into Phiri’s claims was underway.
”He said the presidency referred his letter to us. So far, we have not found such correspondence but our probe is continuing.”
Phiri’s superiors also appear to know nothing about his purported warnings, Maseko said.
Phiri is to appear in a military court in Pretoria on Thursday on misconduct charges related to another matter.
He allegedly contravened military regulations by telling told SA Army chief instructor Colonel Jan Kleynhans during a staff course on February 6 last year: ”You are a racist. I hate racists.”
Maseko said the charges against Phiri from this incident included the alleged use of threatening, insubordinate and insulting language, and displaying riotous or unseemly behaviour.
On March 6 and 7 of the same year, Phiri allegedly went absent without leave and disobeyed a lawful command. – Sapa