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Fri May 24 20:28:52 SAST 2013

Ngcuka said tapes were 'twak'

MZILIKAZI WA AFRIKA, ROB ROSE and STEPHAN HOFSTATTER | 19 November, 2012 00:04
amabubesi
Bulelani Ngcuka
Image by: Tyrone Arthur

Former National Prosecuting Authority boss Bulelani Ngcuka believed that the Zuma spy tapes were twak (rubbish) and demanded to be told how Jacob Zuma's lawyer, Michael Hulley, came in to possession of them.

This is some of the new evidence contained in documents seen by the Sunday Times over the past two weeks.

Ngcuka was recorded on the tapes, allegedly interfering in the prosecution of Zuma with former Scorpions chief Leonard McCarthy.

Former NPA chief Mokotedi Mpshe dropped all charges against Zuma on April 6 2009, because Ngcuka - by then no longer with the NPA - was allegedly manipulating the proposed prosecution of Zuma.

Ngcuka and McCarthy were allegedly campaigning for former president Thabo Mbeki to be re-elected as ANC president at the national party conference in Polokwane in December 2007. The two men were allegedly plotting to charge Zuma just before the ANC conference, or days after he had unseated Mbeki.

Mbeki, it is alleged in the newly obtained documents, rewarded Ngcuka by naming his wife, Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka, to replace Zuma as deputy president.

According to the documents, Ngcuka was interviewed by Scorpions advocates Billy Downer, Johan du Plooy and George Baloyi at his Sandton offices on March 20 2009, just weeks before the charges against Zuma were dropped.

Ngcuka, in the presence of his two legal advisers Dumisani Tabata and Lungisa Dosi, claimed that the recording was a gross violation of his privacy and called it twak. Ngcuka did not deny he was the person recorded talking to McCarthy but said the recording did not show wrongdoing.

He confirmed that he had arranged a private meeting between McCarthy and Mbeki on December 22 2007 - two days after Zuma was elected ANC president. But he stressed that the meeting was arranged so that McCarthy could ask Mbeki to release him from his NPA contract so that he could join the World Bank, which he did on June 25 2008.

Ngcuka "emphasised that he has never sat in any room and conspired against Zuma" and was concerned that the people who alleged that he was an apartheid spy had made the Zuma tapes.

He claimed it would have been wrong to charge Zuma just before the Polokwane conference and that it would have been equally wrong to charge him immediately afterwards because it would have been seen as "a vendetta against Zuma".

Ngcuka denied that he campaigned for Mbeki to be re-elected.

SHARE YOUR OPINION

If you have an opinion you would like to share on this article, please send us an e-mail to the Times LIVE iLIVE team. In the mean time, click here to view the Times LIVE iLIVE section.

RSA.MommaCyndi

Posted 186 days ago
Avatar
They should all be demanding the release of those tapes. They have been tarred and feathered on nothing more than secret hearsay and deserve the truth to be heard by all.

It is also mind boggling that an illegally taped conversation (that is so secret that nobody may hear it) is used by a private citizen and nobody bats an eyelid. That is a gross violation of rights and using that to get out of a bribery count is just bizarre.
Avatar

kabes1911

Posted 186 days ago
Chances of this tapes being exposed might take some time because you have to know how they were obtained and they can sued by the parties involved and bribery is also a crime.

JohnDoe

Posted 186 days ago
Avatar
I really don't understand how a president of a country can have so much hanging over their head and still think that nothing is wrong. In other countries a single scandal can bring down a high profile person, where it is a politician, police commisioner, general etc

But here we have a president who was accused of rape, many corruption changes and spends millions of tax payers money on his home. This isn't even taking into account his total lack of leadership of the country
Avatar

InExile

Posted 186 days ago
The reason a single scandal can bring down a politician in other countries is because the party to which they belong understands that the electorate will not tolerate scandals and the electorate will make the party pay. That party need fear no such response from our electorate. They have spoken . They said they will tolerate anything from their beloved party some will even be proud of the party.

m1si2zi3nzo4

Posted 186 days ago
Avatar
How did such a hair brain scheme gain such power as to steal the whole country, with our eyes wide open? Our whole effort towards establishing a democracy needs a serious brain scan.
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BokfanSaffer

Posted 186 days ago
"Our whole effort towards establishing a democracy needs a serious brain scan"

As said to you in a previous post this is one of those occasions that could degenerate into a we- told -you- so moment. But I really will try to avoid it.

So whats required?

1. Honesty - All those who voted for Zuma during the last election must admit to themselves they made a huge mistake. Then they must ask themselves WHY that mistake was made. The role of every party propagandist liar and bully must be examined to establish their role in perpetrating this crime against South Africans. The behaviour they indulged in must be examined in detail to establish how their threats, lies and blackmail created a situation so detrimental to the future of this nation. Also establish who were the ones warning against this outcome and what were they saying. Give credit to those whose hands are clean of this disgusting mess and who are willing to help sanitise the system of the despicable leftovers.

2. Once those analyses are done it must be resolved never ever to allow our nation to be hijacked by criminals again.

Avatar

i_stub_born

Posted 186 days ago
History repeats itself time and again.....When Hitler ascended to power and his intentions were more than obvious for the germans and the rest of the world, they kept repeating themselves "It won't happen".......

....but regrettably, ANC does not seem to contain honest elements, of if they exist they must be rare and without political influence to effect that introspection........Yet, this is a critical moment in the history of this country. The outcome will define the near and distant future......just like Germany under the Nazis................

GeneralSpecific

Posted 186 days ago
Avatar
In the absence of the spy tapes, against which Zuma's dropped corruption charges were centred around, then Zuma must get his day in court, with Schabir already convicted, chances are that Zuma himself would have been that is why all effort are concerted to stay away from court, this time around he will not be able to successfully evade the courts.

manga2

Posted 186 days ago
Avatar
"Yes, TRUTH BE TOLD, I did campaign for Mbeki, it was the least I could do for my President. And regardless of how these tapes were obtained but everything in them is true, We tried our best to stop Msholozi from becoming our President. We failed dismally. At least my wife became a Deputy President and we'll forever reap the attendant benefits", said Ngcuka. In your dreams!!

IamAJ

Posted 186 days ago
Avatar
Whether they are available or not, they aree irelevant to the case. Zuma must be charged and fairly tried like every one else. the justice system needs to redeem its self. he does not want to step down because he is aware that he is going to be nailed.

Mangqeshane

Posted 186 days ago
Avatar
I love when legal brains argue. Usually, truth is push to the side. I mean from Ngcuka's side, it DOES NOT matter that such tapes EXISTS, but rather how did Zuma's team get them. On JZ's legal team, is more interested NOT DISCUSSING how the tapes were gotten, but to DISCUSS that they are there.

I see no difference in how the Sunday Times recieved internal e-mails, memos and minutes of meetings leaked to it and how JZ team got the tapes. Oh since it Zuma we are suppose to over look that?
Avatar

BokfanSaffer

Posted 186 days ago
Your point lacks a critical element to be persuasive.

In questioning the right of the newspaper to publish you are promoting legal form over substance. The point is we are being alerted to a crisis. The house is burning. Whether the person giving the alarm is a criminal or not we must first heed the warning before addressing anything else.

Its a pity you don't use your obvious intelligence to help with our problems rather than trying to trip up those who are making the effort.

Avatar

ZamaMofokeng

Posted 186 days ago
@Mangqeshane

Welcome to SA, where the so called justice is one sided. All I can say is it’s depends on which side you are if you know what I mean. The only good thing about this country is that people's opinion is not swayed by the media. Ask yourself these questions:

Why this breaking news about Zuma's tapes is all of a sudden reappearing in the public domain?
Clue: The timing!
Yes. We will be going to Mangaung soon and Zuma's enemy could be ANYONE.
Did you read anything NEW about Zuma's spy tapes on the Sunday Times yesterday?

To me Sunday Times were taking us through "before and after" of the acquaintance of charges against Zuma or should I say the memoirs of Zuma's spy tapes.
Intelligent guys don’t like Zuma, capitalists don’t like Zuma, opposition parties don’t like Zuma, and I don’t like Zuma BUT the general public adores him. Apart from education, the man is intelligent (did I mention charming?)

I heard through the grape vine that the DA (since they are powerless) along with some ANC members wants to topple Zuma. Maybe you read about Montlanthe condoning the debate over Vote of no confidence in Zuma. Ask yourself why.

Here is how this is going to play out. DA helps Motlanthe removes Zuma. General public likes Zuma (see above), public goes mad, creates havoc, ANC is divided yet again. DA weakens the ANC.

Motlanthe is scarred of Zuma. Proof: he has not come out to challenge him and how many days before Mangaung? So he is playing it safe or so does he thinks. Would love to give you an insight but I have to work.
Get the point?

Avatar

BokfanSaffer

Posted 186 days ago
Zama

Seems you are spending way too much time in smokey back rooms in the company of expensive whiskey and cheap women.

Nobody in the opposition cares which anc crook is sitting closest to the till. They are all going down in the not too distant future.

What you must do my friend is open your mind to the damage your team is causing the nation. And work hard to fix it.

proud-mbongwa

Posted 186 days ago
Avatar
Just awaiting patiance for this to unfold. I still can't get my head arround Mbeki wanting the third term and why the ANC allow him to seek the third term? Help us God.
Avatar

Tazzman

Posted 186 days ago
I'm a huge Mbeki fan and I think it was not about the third term but more about saving the ANC and the Country from populist and immoral leaders. I think Mbeki is secretly saying "I told you so"