/ 15 May 2006

Kasrils not ‘summoned’ to appear before SACP

The South African Communist Party (SACP) has denied intending to ”grill” Minister of Intelligence Ronnie Kasrils on his role in former deputy president Jacob Zuma’s rape trial.

The party said on Monday it had noted a newspaper report about Kasrils’ attendance at this weekend’s central committee (CC) meeting and wanted to set the record straight.

Kasrils was reportedly summoned to appear before the CC, ”where some members are expected to accuse him of misleading the party about his role in Zuma’s rape trial”.

SACP spokesperson Malesela Maleka said Kasrils would attend ”the next regular central committee meeting as a member of the CC and not to account on anything as the article alleges”.

”Secondly, it is incorrect to suggest that comrade Ronnie Kasrils had misled the November 2005 augmented central committee meeting regarding his role, or otherwise, in the circumstances leading to the rape charge laid against comrade Jacob Zuma.

”The SACP, in its statement after this November meeting, had set the record straight about what was discussed therein and that comrade Kasrils was at no stage called to account on these or related matters,” he said. ‒ Sapa