Zuma suicide docket 'not leaked'

13 December 2007 - 02:00 By WERNER SWART
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THE government yesterday took the unusual step of denying that it was involved in leaking the already public docket of the inquest into the suicide of Kate Zuma, wife of the frontrunner in the presidential succession race.

Government spokesman Themba Maseko said late yesterday that the docket had been "peddled" to several media companies this week by "the same people responsible for the Special Browse Mole Report in a bid to sow confusion and harm state institutions".

The Browse Report alleged that Zuma was involved in plans to topple the government with military backing from other African countries.

The contents of the Kate Zuma inquest docket were reported on in the press last year.

In her suicide note, which was attached to the docket, Kate Zuma, 44, described her marriage to Zuma as "24 years of hell". The couple had four children. She overdosed on tablets in 2000.

When the suicide note made headlines, Zuma's supportersaccused his political enemies of mounting a dirty-tricks campaign against him.

Maseko pointed out that an investigation had cleared the newspaper that reported on the note. It had obtained the docket legally from the court in the district in which Kate Zuma had died.Maseko said: "An inquest docket can be viewed, and copies obtained for a small fee at court. The conspirators are trying to create the impression that this document had been leaked by the government, which is not the case. "It is a public document. Anyone can get it. But we want to make it clear the government was not involved in leaking it to the media," he said.Zuma could not be reached for comment last night.investigation had cleared the newspaper that reported on the note. It had obtained the docket legally from the court in the district in which Kate Zuma had died.

Maseko said: "An inquest docket can be viewed, and copies obtained for a small fee at court. The conspirators are trying to create the impression that this document had been leaked by the government, which is not the case.

"It is a public document. Anyone can get it. But we want to make it clear the government was not involved in leaking it to the media," he said.

Zuma could not be reached for comment last night.

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