No image available
/ 9 January 2008

See you in court, arms firm tells NPA

Jacob Zuma’s two co-accused — the two South African subsidiaries of French arms manufacturer Thales International — are not making any plans to go to court before the August date set by the National Prosecuting Authority [NPA]. ”We will meet them [the NPA] on the 4th of August,” said lawyer Ajay Sooklal.

No image available
/ 9 January 2008

Govt’s submission on Pikoli ‘too bare’

The government revised its submission to the Ginwala inquiry into the suspension of National Prosecuting Authority boss Vusi Pikoli after its first draft did not contain enough information, a media report said on Wednesday. The report said Pikoli’s advocate Wim Trengove had complained that the government’s submission was ”too bare”.

No image available
/ 8 January 2008

Arms deal: ANC works to avoid ‘thumb-suck’

The African National Congress (ANC) will appoint an ad-hoc committee to draw up a ”detailed factual report” on the arms deal, the party announced in Johannesburg on Tuesday. ”We are not asking for the re-opening of the arms deal. We need to get a detailed formal report … to take informed decisions,” party secretary general Gwede Mantashe told journalists.

No image available
/ 8 January 2008

ANC stands by Zuma despite charges

Top leaders of the African National Congress said on Tuesday they had ”grave misgivings” about the timing and handling of corruption charges against newly elected leader Jacob Zuma. Zuma has been charged with fraud, corruption, money laundering, racketeering and tax evasion.

No image available
/ 7 January 2008

Minister: Don’t blame me over Selebi delay

Minister of Justice and Constitutional Development Brigitte Mabandla on Monday rejected as ”untrue” reports that she had delayed the National Prosecuting Authority’s (NPA) decision on whether or not to charge police National Commissioner Jackie Selebi. The NPA ”does not have to get any permission from the minister”, said Mabandla’s spokesperson.

No image available
/ 7 January 2008

ANC heavyweights get down to business

The African National Congress’s national executive committee will meet for the first time on Monday since being elected at the party’s national conference in Polokwane. Items on the agenda include the National Prosecuting Authority’s decision to charge new ANC president Jacob Zuma with fraud and corruption.

No image available
/ 6 January 2008

ANC to discuss Zuma’s graft case

The corruption charge against Jacob Zuma, the new head of the African National Congress (ANC), is on the agenda of the first meeting since his election of the party’s national executive council on Monday, the party secretary general said on Sunday. ”The corruption charge against Zuma is on the agenda,” Gwede Mantashe, said.

No image available
/ 4 January 2008

‘Not long’ before Selebi decision known

Minister of Justice and Constitutional Development Brigitte Mabandla had studied the National Prosecuting Authority’s (NPA) decision on whether police National Commissioner Jackie Selebi ”had a case to answer”, her spokesperson said on Friday. Zolile Nqayi said the minister had studied the report last year.

No image available
/ 4 January 2008

Zuma vows to fight graft charges

South Africa’s ruling African National Congress (ANC) leader, Jacob Zuma, has denied allegations of corruption and vowed to fight charges laid against him in court, local media reported on Friday. ”I am innocent. I have not committed any crime,” Zuma was quoted as saying in Beeld.

No image available
/ 2 January 2008

Still no word on whether Selebi has case to answer

The public were on Wednesday still being kept in the dark over the fate of South Africa’s police National Commissioner, Jackie Selebi. The National Prosecuting Authority said it had made a decision on whether or not Selebi ”had a case to answer”. However, the decision would not be made public until it was studied by the minister of justice and constitutional development.

No image available
/ 30 December 2007

NPA: Mbeki not behind Zuma charges

South Africa’s prosecuting chief on Sunday denied claims that President Thabo Mbeki was behind the filing of a string of charges against Jacob Zuma, the new leader of the African National Congress. Mokeketedi Mpshe, acting National Prosecuting Authority head, told a newspaper that the decision to formally charge Zuma was made independently.

No image available
/ 29 December 2007

Zuma supporters decry new charges

Supporters of Jacob Zuma, the new leader of the African National Congress, protested on Saturday that new corruption charges against him were part of a politically inspired vendetta. Zuma’s supporters have cried foul over the timing of the charges, a little over a week since he was elected leader of the ANC.

No image available
/ 29 December 2007

Cosatu condemns Zuma indictment

An indictment served on African National Congress president Jacob Zuma was a continued violation of his human rights, the Congress of South African Trade Unions (Cosatu) said on Saturday. The timing of the indictment had the ”hallmarks of vengeance, deep-seated anger and frustration by the National Prosecuting Authority and whoever else is behind this”.

No image available
/ 27 December 2007

Prosecutors hold off on Zuma, Selebi

South African prosecutors are likely to wait at least two weeks before deciding whether to file charges against the new African National Congress president and the country’s police chief, a newspaper said on Thursday. The National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) recently said it had enough evidence to re-charge ANC president Jacob Zuma.

No image available
/ 21 December 2007

Zuma cries foul over NPA charges

The National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) has not contacted new African National Congress president Jacob Zuma about corruption charges against him, he said on Friday. ”I have not been contacted, my advisers have not been contacted, but the media have been contacted,” Zuma said in an interview.

No image available
/ 17 December 2007

Justice Minister mum on Selebi

Justice and Constitutional Development Minister Brigitte Mabandla on Monday declined to be drawn on the National Prosecution Authority’s (NPA) probe into police National Commissioner Jackie Selebi. ”No comment. I do not talk about those things,” she told a South African Press Association reporter.

No image available
/ 17 December 2007

DA: Is NPA going to charge Selebi or not?

Uncertainty over the prosecution of police National Commissioner Jackie Selebi was not in anyone’s best interest, the Democratic Alliance (DA) said. The National Prosecuting Authority’s (NPA) spokesperson Tlali Tlali said on Sunday that a decision had been made on whether Selebi ”has a case to answer”.

No image available
/ 7 December 2007

Serial rapist Mongezi Jinxela found guilty

Serial rapist Mongezi Jinxela was found guilty in the Johannesburg High Court on Thursday on 220 charges of rape, kidnapping, robbery and assault, the National Prosecuting Authority said. Spokesperson Tlali Tlali said Justice George Maluleka found Jinxela guilty of raping 57 women — making him one of the country’s worst serial rape offenders.

No image available
/ 6 December 2007

Selebi’s office keeps mum over Agliotti

Police National Commissioner Jackie Selebi’s office did not want to comment on the plea bargaining and 10-year suspended sentence for drug trafficking handed down to Glenn Agliotti on Wednesday. Spokesperson Director Sally de Beer said: ”You must have noticed it was a Scorpions’ case so you will have to phone them.”

No image available
/ 5 December 2007

NPA won’t comment on Kebble accused ‘deal’

The National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) on Wednesday would not comment on a report that Glen Agliotti — accused of the murder of mining magnate Brett Kebble — had entered into a deal with the Scorpions. Earlier, a media report said that Agliotti’s deal was linked to the drug charges he faces relating to an international smuggling ring.