/ 24 January 2006

ANC ‘hoax e-mail’ man still missing

Police were on Tuesday continuing a search for the IT executive allegedly at the centre of the African National Congress’s spy and hoax e-mail saga.

”We shall carry on looking for him, depending on the circumstances,” said police spokesperson Senior Superintendent Mary Martins-Engelbrecht.

Late on Monday, Muziwendoda Kunene’s lawyer, Sabelo Mabuza, said: ”We’ve heard nothing. He’s still missing and we’ve had no reports from the police.”

Kunene’s wife, Belinda, has appealed to the public for help.

He disappeared on Friday.

Durban-based Kunene has not been seen since his wife dropped him off at a BP garage to board a taxi to Sandton City to attend to his business.

”The reason I’m acting this desperately is because my husband had all along harboured fears that he may be attacked or killed because of his alleged involvement in the so-called hoax e-mail saga,” she said at the weekend.

Kunene was arrested on December 1 in connection with the e-mail saga that has divided the ANC. He was released on bail of R2 000. Gauteng police confirmed on Monday that procedures had been put in place to find Kunene.

In its December 15 edition last year, the Mail & Guardian reported that the 73 pages of e-mails at the centre of the saga purport to be messages and chat-room exchanges between senior ANC politicians, including Deputy President Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka, members of the National Prosecuting Authority, white media personalities and opposition figures such as Democratic Alliance leader Tony Leon.

The exchanges, of dubious origin and content, claim to illustrate a political conspiracy led by a Xhosa faction to rid the ruling party of stumbling blocks in its presidential succession race.

They discredit former deputy president Jacob Zuma and ANC secretary general Kgalema Motlanthe. — Sapa