Pikoli could suffer the same fate as former defence force boss Georg Meiring, according to National Intelligence Agency boss Manala Manzini.
The National Intelligence Agency has not lost its credibility, Intelligence Services Minister Ronnie Kasrils said in Pretoria on Thursday.
President Thabo Mbeki on Tuesday denied reports that the South African government had been warned of the prospect of xenophobic attacks by the National Intelligence Agency. ”There was no such intelligence reports — they certainly did not come to me,” he said.
Thousands of people marched through Johannesburg on Saturday, calling for an end to the violence that has killed at least 50 African migrants and forced tens of thousands to flee their homes. People in Hillbrow, home to many African immigrants, cheered the march, which was organised by churches and labour unions.
South Africa’s government admitted on Friday it was aware of the potential of anti-immigrant sentiment to explode into violence. ”Of course we were aware there was something brewing. It is one thing to know there is a social problem and another thing to know when that outburst will occur,” said Intelligence Minister Ronnie Kasrils.
South Africa’s security chief on Friday accused rightwingers linked to the former apartheid government of fanning xenophobic violence that has spread to Cape Town, the second largest city and tourist centre. At least 42 people have been killed and thousands driven from their homes in 12 days of attacks.
The recent wave of so-called xenophobic violence had been deliberately unleashed ahead of next year’s general election, National Intelligence Agency (NIA) Director General Manala Manzini said on Thursday. At least 42 people have been killed and 16Â 000 displaced since the outbreak of the attacks on foreigners in Alexandra on May 12.
The xenophobic attacks in Gauteng appeared to have subsided, a provincial spokesperson said on Wednesday. However, KwaZulu-Natal police are monitoring a possible outbreak of attacks there. ”There are no new reports of attacks,” said Thabo Masebe, deputy director of communications for the provincial government.
Thousands of refugees in and around Johannesburg faced another night filled with anxiety on Tuesday evening as xenophobic tensions and violence continued to spread through the province. The violence has so far claimed 24 lives and left up to 10Â 000 people seeking refuge in shelters across Gauteng.
As the sun set on another bloody day of xenophobic violence in Gauteng on Monday, at least 22 people were reported dead, many more injured and 217 arrested for fierce attacks on both foreigners and local residents living in the greater Johannesburg area. Aid organisations were assisting thousands of refugees at civic centres and police stations.
The real reason for the suspension of National Director of Public Prosecutions (NDPP) Vusi Pikoli related to a criminal probe into police chief Jackie Selebi, Pikoli’s lawyers said on Wednesday. ”It was to put a spoke in the wheels of the investigation and prosecution of the police National Commissioner, Mr Jackie Selebi,” they said.
The public hearings on suspended National Prosecuting Authority head Vusi Pikoli’s fitness to hold office are an ”inquisitorial” as opposed to an ”accusatorial” process, inquiry head Frene Ginwala said on Wednesday. ”I want to emphasise that this process is not a judicial one,” said Ginwala in an opening statement.
The inquiry into the suspension of National Prosecuting Authority head Vusi Pikoli, which starts on Wednesday, will see several high-profile witnesses testify, including Reverend Frank Chikane and Scorpions boss Gerrie Nel. President Thabo Mbeki suspended Pikoli as the head of the NPA on September 24.
The African National Congress (ANC) said on Tuesday the Khampepe report highlighted many of its concerns about the Directorate of Special Operations (DSO), which led to its resolution to have the unit moved to the police. ”That report raises the same concerns we are raising, which led to the raising of the ANC resolution,” said the party’s secretary general.
Democratic Alliance leader Helen Zille on Monday vowed to take her fight against the Erasmus commission to the Constitutional Court. The commission was set up by Western Cape Premier Ebrahim Rasool in December 2007 to investigate the City of Cape Town’s probe into controversial councillor Badih Chaaban.
A scanner costing R43-million — the first of 18 — has been put into operation at Durban harbour’s container terminal, the South African Revenue Service (Sars) said on Tuesday. Leonard Radebe, head of customs at Sars, said the scanner would improve turnaround times at the congested Durban terminal.
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/ 27 February 2008
The fraud case against former National Intelligence Agency (NIA) director general Billy Masetlha and his two co-accused was postponed in the Pretoria Specialised Commercial Crimes Court on Wednesday. The case against Masetlha, IT specialist Muziwendoda Kunene and former NIA manager for electronic surveillance Funokwakhe Madlala was postponed to June 11 to 13.
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/ 26 February 2008
The Pretoria Specialised Commercial Crimes Court adjourned on Tuesday with no clear answer on how many files on accused Muziwendoda Kunene’s computer were related to the ”hoax email” saga. This followed the cross-examination of state witness and computer expert Senior Superintendent Bernard Grobler.
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/ 25 February 2008
The alleged fraud case against former National Intelligence Agency (NIA) director general Billy Masetlha and his two co-accused was postponed in the Pretoria Commercial Crimes Court on Monday. The charges relate to alleged hoax emails implicating senior African National Congress members in a conspiracy against Jacob Zuma.
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/ 19 February 2008
Recent cases of spying involving the mayor of Cape Town and a report alleging a conspiracy to bring down the government are part of apartheid ”baggage”, Intelligence Minister Ronnie Kasrils said in Cape Town on Tuesday. He said it is a ”knee-jerk reaction” to assume that the National Intelligence Agency is behind such cases.
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/ 15 February 2008
Former Zambian president Frederick Chiluba must stand trial on charges of stealing almost half a million dollars from the Southern African country while he was its leader, a court ruled on Friday. Magistrate Jones Chinyama set the trial date for Chiluba, who stands charged of theft of public funds with two Lusaka businessmen, for May 5.
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/ 12 February 2008
South Africa’s elite, FBI-style Scorpions anti-crime unit will be dissolved, Safety and Security Minister Charles Nqakula said on Tuesday. ”The Scorpions … will be dissolved and the organised crime unit of the police will be phased out and a new, amalgamated unit will be created,” Nqakula told Parliament in Cape Town.
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/ 11 February 2008
The "specialist nature" of the Scorpions might well be retained, wherever the unit is finally located, President Thabo Mbeki said on Sunday. He said the government remained firmly committed to ensuring South Africa’s capacity to fight organised crime was enhanced, not reduced.
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/ 10 January 2008
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Jacob Zuma makes his first keynote speech as African National Congress (ANC) leader on Saturday amid forecasts his election as head of South Africa’s ruling party will herald the biggest bout of turbulence since apartheid. All eyes will be on whether Zuma proffers an olive branch towards President Thabo Mbeki or stakes his claim as head of a rival centre of power.
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/ 28 December 2007
Former National Intelligence Agency boss Billy Masetlha, newly elected to the African National Congress national executive committee, says President Thabo Mbeki and his Cabinet will be ”recalled” from their government positions unless they ”account” to Luthuli House, Business Day reported on Friday.
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/ 3 December 2007
Muziwendoda Kunene, the man caught up in the hoax-email saga, had his attempted murder case postponed on Monday. Kunene appeared in the Atteridgeville Magistrate’s Court ion the morning for allegedly shooting his 24-year-old son, Msebenzi Kunene.
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/ 3 December 2007
Muziwendoda Kunene, the man caught up in the ”hoax email” saga, is expected to appear in the Atteridgeville Magistrate’s Court on Monday facing charges of attempted murder. Kunene was arrested in Kranskop in KwaZulu-Natal on Thursday. The attempted murder charge was laid by his son.
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/ 28 November 2007
Former spy boss Billy Masetlha was on Wednesday found not to have contravened the Intelligence Oversight Act by the Hatfield Community Court in Pretoria. His acquittal on charges of withholding information from Inspector General of Intelligence Zolile Ngcakani was greeted by loud applause from the public gallery.
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/ 23 November 2007
Two of the three metro cops implicated in Robert McBride’s alleged drunk-driving cover-up have resigned, Ekurhuleni metro police said on Friday. Spokesperson Zweli Dlamini said Itumeleng Koko and Patrick Johnson resigned earlier this week. It has been reported that the men received indemnity from prosecution by turning state witness against metro chief McBride.
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/ 14 November 2007
An alleged assassination plot by the African National Congress (ANC) against the man behind the hoax email saga, Muziwendoda Kunene, is a ”completely conjured up story”, the ruling party said on Wednesday. The party was responding to a 702 report in which Kunene claimed that there was a plot to assassinate him.
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/ 14 November 2007
IT specialist Muziwendoda Kunene — one of the men allegedly behind the hoax email saga — was shot in Pretoria on Wednesday. The incident comes after Kunene claimed that senior members of the African National Congress were plotting to assassinate him. The party dismissed his claims as a ”conjured-up story”.
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/ 10 November 2007
Former spy boss Billy Masetlha had no political ambitions and would have retired as National Intelligence Agency director general had he not been fired, the Hatfield Community Court heard on Friday. He is charged with allegedly withholding information from Inspector General of Intelligence Zolile Ngcakani.