Publication: Sunday Times Issued: Date: 2005-10-02 Reporter: Aakash Bramdeo Reporter:

Documentary Becomes A Talking Point

 

Publication 

Sunday Times

Date

2005-10-02

Reporter

 Aakash Bramdeo

Web Link

www.sundaytimes.co.za

 

The murder of Brett Kebble is awash with conspiracy theories.

Some claim he knew and said too much.

In a controversial documentary, Kebble emerges as a chief protagonist behind claims that former Deputy President Jacob Zuma was the victim of a political plot.

The producer of the documentary, Liesl Göttert, believes that what Kebble said could have resulted in his death.

“Nobody except Brett Kebble was prepared to speak on camera [about the allegations] because they feared they would be killed. Even technical people were afraid to have their names on the credits. I don’t know whether what he said was true or not, but it was verified by at least a dozen senior people. I can’t say this got him killed, but he definitely said a lot.”

The four-part documentary, The Zuma Media Trial, has not been screened publicly but has been distributed for viewing in labour circles.

During the four-hour long programme, Kebble is quoted extensively. Others interviewed include Nelson Mandela, Independent Democrats leader Patricia de Lille, Kebble’s legal representative and the former Judge Willem Heath, the French arms dealer Pierre Moynot, and a host of journalists.

Zuma’s daughters Msholozi, Phumzile and Duduzile were also interviewed as was Zuma himself.

In the documentary, Kebble accuses the former Director of Public Prosecutions, Bulelani Ngcuka, of manipulating the media to tarnish Zuma’s name.

He added Ngcuka was part of a politically inspired plot by a cabal of well-known businessmen intent on removing Zuma as President Thabo Mbeki’s successor.

Kebble has had several run-ins with the National Directorate of Public Prosecutions. At the time of his death he was facing 12 charges of fraud with his father Roger.

He is also known to have shared a close relationship with Zuma.

In the documentary, Kebble alleged that Ngcuka’s office leaked stories to the Mail & Guardian newspaper and the Sunday Times with the aim of tainting Zuma’s image.

Kebble further claimed that the cabal Ngcuka belonged to had presidential ambitions.

He named three prominent businessmen who he said were part of the cabal ­ men Kebble is known to have disliked.

According to Kebble, the cabal represented the “progressive elites” within the ANC. They opposed broad-based empowerment, as represented by Zuma.

“They seek to enrich themselves by providing themselves as a shield to white capital. They form protection rackets in our society. They do and have occupied positions of power in government and they have very little and some of them no interest in empowering the masses,” said Kebble in the interview.

He said members of the cabal met at expensive hotels where “copious quantities of single-malt Scotch” were consumed, resulting in people becoming so drunk that they would “lie on the couch and wet their pants”.

Kebble claimed the Scorpions unit was “one of the mistakes made in our new democracy”.

Mo Shaik, a staunch supporter of Zuma who was also interviewed for the documentary, said Kebble’s allegations should be investigated.

With acknowledgements to Aakash Bramdeo and the Sunday Times.


A savory hotpot of single malt, urine, interesting characters and various theories.