Cape Town – The DA will submit further evidence to National Assembly speaker Max Sisulu to support its request for impeachment proceedings against President Jacob Zuma, it said on Tuesday.

“This new evidence suggests that President Zuma may have deliberately misled Parliament, and violated the Constitution and the law,” said the Democratic Alliance’s leader in Parliament Lindiwe Mazibuko.

“This warrants a full parliamentary investigation, which is specifically mandated by my motion to impeach President Zuma.”

Mazibuko requested Parliament on 20 March to establish an ad hoc committee and the initiation of impeachment proceedings against Zuma.

Her request followed the tabling of Public Protector Thuli Madonsela’s report on upgrades to the president’s Nkandla, KwaZulu-Natal, residence.

Mazibuko said on Monday that while the party respected Madonsela’s authority, there were a number of statements Zuma made to Parliament that were not resolved or which she did not consider in her final report.

The first was Zuma’s response to Mazibuko’s oral question on his Nkandla homestead in November 2012, in which he stated he was still paying a bond on the first phase of his home.

Madonsela noted in her report that she sent a letter to Zuma requesting clarity on the bond and proof thereof.

“President Zuma declined the opportunity to respond to the allegation and he refused her access to his bond documents, despite her attempts to get this information,” Mazibuko said.

“It must be asked why, if he had nothing to hide, he did not fully cooperate with this request?”

Lack of information

She said that Madonsela could not make a finding because of the lack of information and thus left uncertainty on Zuma’s innocence.

The party believed the special ad hoc committee would have the power to subpoena this document in its investigation and expect a full explanation from Zuma.

Mazibuko sent her next oral question to Zuma on 20 March last year, asking whether he was informed of upgrades to his home.

His response acknowledged that he was fully aware of the difference between his involvement in personal renovations to his home and those organised by the State.

Mazibuko said Zuma’s response on the State renovations made a very clear impression that he was not told of specific project details, that relevant officials handled and decided upon the matter, and that he was merely informed that there needed to be improvements.

“There is, however, to the contrary, very clear evidence provided in the Public Protector’s report that the president not only had detailed knowledge, but that he was intricately involved.

“Furthermore, the involvement of [architect] Mr Makhanya, and his relationship and numerous meetings with him over the upgrade, is incontrovertible evidence against his statement that he did not know ‘what would be done by whom and at what cost’.”

Further suspicion

Mazibuko said Zuma had yet to answer key questions sent to him by Madonsela, which “creates a further suspicion around his intentions”.

These questions included whether he or the presidency asked that security measures be installed at his private residence, whether he was informed at any stage of the cost of the proposed measures and whether a notice declaring his private residence a national key point was served on him.

Madonsela had also wanted to know whether he was shown the architect’s designs of the project, whether he was consulted about the relocation of households around Nkandla and whether he asked about the cost of the project at any stage.

“The DA contends that there is enough prima facie evidence, as outlined above, to warrant a full investigation into both the November 2012 and March 2013 replies.”

Mazibuko further contended that in failing to respond to Madonsela’s questions and questioning her authority to question him, Zuma had violated the Public Protector’s Act.

“What is crystal clear… is that President Zuma treated the investigation with disdain, did not fully cooperate with it, blatantly ignored correspondence from a Chapter Nine institution, and failed to provide all the information requested of him.”

She said his “belligerent attitude and non-compliance” may also constitute a violation of the Constitution because he did not do everything possible to assist Madonsela.

The party said it was concerned that Sisulu had yet to respond to a request for an urgent meeting and a clear time frame for when he would decide on the party’s request.

“I will accordingly send this new evidence to his office and again request feedback from him as a matter of urgency,” Mazibuko said.

– SAPA

Pretoria – Photographs and details of a protected Marikana witness, dubbed Mr X, will be widely distributed among mineworkers, the Farlam Commission of Inquiry heard on Tuesday.

Advocate Dali Mpofu for arrested and wounded miners, said the SA Police Service (SAPS) would have to show that the widows of slain miners and survivors were a threat to Mr X.

“They have to show that the presence of the parties [the widows, miners and the public] is going to endanger the safety, security or life of Mr X. They are unable to show that,” Mpofu said.

“They want to exclude the widows of the slain miners, what possible threat to Mr X’s safety can these widows pose? What are they going to do to him?”

Police submitted an application to the inquiry last month for Mr X to testify in-camera, from a remote location through a video link.

Sesi Baloyi, for the police, said Mr X was under witness protection and his life would be grave danger if his identity was revealed or published.

SAPS wanted only the commissioners, lawyers, and accredited media present in the auditorium when Mr X testified.

The police wanted the widows, public, and miners prevented from attending the hearings when Mr X gave evidence on a date to be decided.

On Tuesday, Mpofu said the SAPS application was laced with absurdity.

“Let us assume, for argument’s sake that some among the [Marikana] survivors harbour some ill feelings against Mr X. One has to ensure that these people, by being prevented from being here will be prevented from knowing the identity of Mr X.”

This was clearly not viable, Mpofu said.

“As soon as I get the identity and photographs of Mr X I have a duty to tell them all the things, including which shaft he works in. He will still face the exact same risk whether they are here or not.”

Taking chances

Mpofu said other witnesses, including North West Air Wing Commander Salmon Vermaak, “took chances” by testifying in the public hearings.

The man identified as Mr X was apparently part of the group of protesting Marikana miners who underwent a ritual that included two sangomas, the burning of live sheep, and swallowing the ashes on 11 August 2012.

Mpofu has previously referred to Mr X as “a multiple murderer and a self-confessed habitual criminal, having at least three murders under his belt”.

The inquiry led by retired Judge Ian Farlam is investigating the deaths of 44 people during strike-related violence at Lonmin’s platinum mining operations at Marikana, near Rustenburg in the North West.

The police shot dead 34 people, mostly striking mineworkers, wounded over 70, and arrested 250 on 16 August 2012 while trying to disarm and disperse them.

In the preceding week, 10 people, including two policemen and the two security guards, were killed.

– SAPA

Ermelo – The body of a farmer was found on his farm in Ermelo, Mpumalanga police said on Tuesday.

The 77-year-old was found by a family friend in the house on his farm De Emigratie on Monday morning, said Colonel Leonard Hlathi.

The family friend arrived at the man’s house on Monday morning, after he failed to open the gate of the farm for his workers to enter.

“The man stays alone on the farm and he usually opens the gate for the workers every morning,” said Hlathi.

The family friend, who had a key to the farm, opened the gate and noticed that the sliding door was off the railings.

“He went into the house and found the farmer in one of the bedrooms,” said Hlathi.

He said it was believed that the man was suffocated as he was found with a piece of plastic over his face.

“He did not have any other visible injuries but an autopsy will be done to determine the exact details of his death,” said Hlathi.

One of the farmer’s two firearms was also missing from the house.

“We believe that the firearm was stolen but police will investigate the matter and determine if any other possessions were stolen from the farmer’s house,” said Hlathi.

No arrests were made and police were investigating.

– SAPA

Johannesburg – A 19-year-old youth was hit by a bus on Blouberg Road in Tableview, Cape Town, on Tuesday morning, paramedics said.

“It appears as though he was killed on impact,” said ER24 spokesperson Luyanda Majija.

The youth was on his way to work when he attempted to cross the busy road and was hit by the bus.

“The deceased was found to have sustained suspected multiple severe fractures,” said Majija.

The bus driver and the passengers were unharmed in the incident.

– SAPA

Bloemfontein – Not all internal procedures to convince the national director of public prosecutions (NDPP) to reinstate charges against suspended police crime intelligence head Richard Mdluli were followed, the Supreme Court of Appeal heard on Tuesday.

Advocate Lawrence Hodes for the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA), submitted any party wanting to re-institute charges against anybody first had to approach the NDPP and not a court directly.

“Any prosecutor in any court can decide to withdraw charges… [on reinstatement] then in my submission there are certain procedures to be followed before a court can be approached.”

A full SCA bench was hearing argument in an urgent appeal by Mdluli, the police and the NPA.

The appeal concerns a ruling in favour of lobby group Freedom Under Law (FUL) to set aside a decision to withdraw criminal and disciplinary charges against Mdluli.

Mdluli, the NPA, and the Specialised Commercial Crime Unit were granted leave to appeal against a ruling by high court Judge John Murphy in September 2013 in favour of FUL.

Murphy had set aside the decision to withdraw charges of money laundering, murder, and disciplinary proceedings, against Mdluli.

Argument was continuing in the SCA.

– SAPA

A man arrested in connection of murder in Vryburg

By Obakeng Maje
Morokweng-North West olice arrested two suspects aged 43 and 35 years respectively on charges of robbery and truck-hijacking.
Two suspects were allegedly arrested on Monday after they pounced on two men who were travelling in a truck from Ventersdorp to Morokweng to deliver grocery at different supermarkets in the area.

Colonel Emelda Setlhako said two men allegedly parked the truck near a supermarket and slept inside in order to off-load the grocery in the next morning.

Victims were allegedly asleep when woken up by the suspects who pointed them with firearms.

“The suspects forced them into a white double cab bakkie with municipality stickers depicted on its doors. They took the victims cell phones and drove with them for approximately 5km. It is further alleged that the victims hands were tied and were forced to lie on the ground” Setlhako said.

The suspects broke the safe from the truck and robbed them undisclosed amount of cash.

Police said one of the suspects is a municipal worker at Ventersdorp Local Municipality while the other one is the driver’s co-worker.

They are expected to appear in Ganyesa Magistrates’ Court on Wednesday.-TDN
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