The state’s case against police National Commissioner Jackie Selebi could be a major casualty of the African National Congress’s drive to shut down the Scorpions. The Mail & Guardian has established that seven of the eight investigators working on the Selebi case have already resigned or are in the process of leaving the unit.
South Africa has “shocked” its African counterparts by objecting to a strongly worded ban on cluster bombs at a meeting of African countries in Livingstone, Zambia, this week. Cluster bombs are deadly weapons deployed from aircraft and helicopters. They open in mid-air and scatter over a large area, often injuring civilians.
If new official secrets legislation had been on the statute books, the Mail & Guardian‘s award-winning articles about police National Commissioner Jackie Selebi could have been illegal — and M&G reporters could have faced lengthy jail terms. The Protection of Information Bill was published for comment by Intelligence Minister Ronnie Kasrils last week.
The Scorpions have reopened the arms-deal investigation in what may be their last major assignment. The Mail & Guardian has established that the Scorpions recently registered an investigation into South Africa’s multibillion-rand purchase of jet trainers and fighter jets from British arms giant BAE Systems and Sweden’s Saab.
A major Saudi Arabian marine company has accused controversial Coega prawn farm SeaArk Africa of lying about an alleged R70-million deal between the companies. Three weeks ago, the Mail & Guardian revealed the identities of the people behind SeaArk Africa.
African National Congress president Jacob Zuma will get a last chance next week to convince a court that potentially damaging evidence seized from him and his lawyer in 2005 should not form part of his corruption trial. Adriaan Basson and Sam Sole present a bluffer’s guide to Zuma’s latest court antics.
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/ 22 February 2008
Despite the Scorpions’ imminent incorporation into the South African Police Service, the 2008/09 budget of the Justice and Constitutional Development Department makes provision for spending R429-million on the crime fighting unit this year. That is 15% more than last year’s budget of R373-million.
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/ 21 February 2008
Adriaan Basson reviews Hermann Giliomee and Bernard Mbenga’s <i>New History of South Africa</i>.
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/ 21 February 2008
A R9-billion marine farming project in the Coega industrial development zone — announced with much fanfare in December — has a fraud convict as its international business associate. The project, touted as a huge job creator in the Eastern Cape and the world’s first environmentally friendly prawn farm, has sparked furious objections from local environmentalists, including South African National Parks.
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/ 15 February 2008
Justice department Director General Menzi Simelane has emerged as a key player in the suspension of National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) boss Vusi Pikoli. Pikoli was expected to make his final submission to former speaker of Parliament Frene Ginwala’s commission of inquiry into his fitness to hold office on Friday.