Wisani Wa Ka Ngobeni Author

This week, the M&G brings you — in full — the story we had to black out a fortnight ago after being gagged write Stefaans Brümmer and Sam Sole.

A top Scorpions official, Jeffrey Ledwaba, one of three czars heading the elite police unit, is being investigated in connection with allegations of the plundering of hundreds of thousands of rands from the informers fund. Ledwaba was put on "special leave" last week on the instruction of the National Director of Public Prosecutions, Vusi Pikoli.

Two companies with strong links to the African National Congress Youth League and the ANC in the Western Cape have emerged as beneficiaries of a disputed deal involving prime beachfront land. The City of Cape Town has sold the land to a hand-picked group of 17 empowerment companies, at least two of them either directly owned by the youth league or by major donors to the provincial ANC.

A new probe into the finances of the Mpumalanga Department of Public Works, Roads and Transport has found that the department is riddled with rot. Two probes last year — one by the provincial auditor general and the other by the provincial treasury — also uncovered numerous examples of mismanagement and wasteful expenditure.

This edition of the <i>Mail & Guardian</i> contains an article on the Steve Mabona saga which a judge barred us from publishing last week. This is after a new attempt to gag the newspaper failed on Thursday.

New details have emerged of the cosy relationship between Walter Senoko, the businessman who paid Mpumalanga public works minister Steve Mabona R1-million, and the minister himself. These details also suggest Mabona was not truthful when he said a fortnight ago that he had been unaware of contracts that Senoko’s company had with his department.
<li><a class=’standardtextsmall’ href="http://www.mg.co.za/Content/l3.asp?ao=23521">Mabona official and buddy face arrest</a>

Mpumalanga’s influential public works minister, Steve Mabona, privately received payments totalling R1-million from a company that had contracts with his department. The money, in two amounts of R500 000 each, flowed to Mabona within days of his department having transferred millions to the company for a contract that was subsequently probed.
<li><a class=’standardtextsmall’ href="http://www.mg.co.za/Content/l3.asp?ao=22899">A chequered career</a>
<li><a class=’standardtextsmall’ href="http://www.mg.co.za/Content/l3.asp?ao=22900">In his own words</a>

Minister of Defence Mosiuoa Lekota, who faces a disciplinary inquiry by the African National Congress for failing to declare his business interests, is also facing a probe by the public protector.
<li><a class=’standardtextsmall’ href="http://www.mg.co.za/Content/l3.asp?ao=14937">DA calls for Lekota’s resignation</a>
<li><a class=’standardtextsmall’ href="http://www.mg.co.za/Content/l3.asp?ao=14896">Lekota reported to Public Protector</a>

A severe drought is ravaging large areas of Limpopo province and there is little hope in sight for any immediate relief. The severity of the drought is having a devastating affect on its residents, who have lost thousands of head of cattle over the past few months.

When a bomb blast ripped through a mosque in Soweto on Wednesday, shattering windows and forcing parts of the lush building to crash, Toto Ndlovu (32) thought a car had just crashed into her home.

Evidence is mounting that those responsible for this week’s bombings are from the same far right networks that spawned an alleged treason plot earlier this year. Authorities immediately, but tentatively, pointed fingers at the far right.