It is probably no coincidence that top Treasury officials are being subjected to a vicious smear campaign as Finance Minister Nhlanhla Nene begins to ask tough questions about the affordability of the government's vast nuclear procurement programme and presses ahead with essential measures to rein in the public-sector wage bill. Business Day reported on Friday that fake ''intelligence'' documents e-mailed to the Treasury had sought to portray some of its top managers - as well as former finance minister Trevor Manuel and former Treasury director-general Maria Ramos - as being part of a plot to keep the country's finances in the hands of the old white establishment. The preposterous allegations would be laughable were their implications not so serious.''Plots'' and ''intelligence leaks'' aimed at discrediting opponents of various factions of the ANC have sprung up like weeds since Nelson Mandela stepped down as president.In the process, reputations have been destroyed and the integrity of critical state institutions has sometimes been undermined.The National Prosecuting Authority, for example, is arguably yet to recover from a decade-old debacle in which its then head, Bulelani Ngcuka, was falsely branded an apartheid spy by supporters of Jacob Zuma.The public protector has been subjected to a completely unnecessary investigation by intelligence agencies in the wake of spurious allegations that do not even bear repeating.The Treasury commands wide respect, both at home and abroad, for the excellent work it is doing to keep our finances afloat in extremely trying economic circumstances.By trying to rein in wasteful expenditure, and interrogating the affordability and financing options for the nuclear building programme - which until now has been shrouded in secrecy - it is simply doing its job...