Kasrils dismisses intelligence sale claim as 'arrant nonsense'

23 August 2016 - 15:16 By Ernest Mabuza

Former intelligence minister Ronnie Kasrils described as "arrant nonsense" claims made by deputy defence minister Kebby Maphatsoe that Kasrils wanted to sell the country's intelligence to "imperialists".Kasrils is suing Maphatsoe‚ who is also national chairman of the Umkhonto we Sizwe Military Veterans Association‚ for R1 million for defamation over statements he made in 2014 when he was condemning the "Vote No" campaign orchestrated by Kasrils and other former MK members.Maphatsoe also accused Kasrils of being an enemy of the people and of giving instructions to the woman who accused President Jacob Zuma of rape in 2005.In one of the statements‚ Maphatsoe said: "When [Kasrils] was the minister of intelligence... he dismissed most of the cadres of Mkhonto we Sizwe because he wanted to sell our intelligence to the imperialists during our reconstruction."Kasrils denied dismissing any uMkhonto we Sizwe cadres who were working for the country's intelligence services during his term as minister between 2004 and 2008. Testifying before the high court in Pretoria on Tuesday‚ Kasrils said if the claim by Maphatsoe that he was wanted to sell intelligence was true‚ this was tantamount to treason. "This would mean that the full force of the law should have been applied to me. I should have been taken to court and charged‚" Kasrils said. In his particulars of claim‚ Kasrils said Maphatsoe had also accused him of being a counter-revolutionary and an enemy of the people. The trial continues...

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