Opinion & Analysis

Your columnist Xolela Mangu, Self-confident Zuma’s political gamble appears to be paying off, (August 3) rightly concludes that President Thabo Mbeki has only himself to blame that the arms-deal scandal has become the defining issue of his corruption-plagued administration. Media reports in 1995 confirmed that Mbeki intervened irregularly to swing the warship contracts to the Germans.

The recent Der Spiegel report has begun to lift the veil on the scale of corruption involving former German Chancellor Helmut Kohl, and the pressures he exerted on our government. The joint investigation team report into the arms deal confirms that the German Frigate Consortium tender was so irregular, that even Armscor’s legal department recommended that the consortium should be disqualified.

European politicians flocked to SA after 1994 to pay tribute to Madiba and our new democracy with one hand, and to peddle weapons with the other. As the now-critical letter signed by former deputy president Jacob Zuma but written by Mbeki confirms, the arms-deal tenders were an utter sham. It had been prearranged in Europe that Germany and France would share the warship contracts, England and Sweden would share the warplane contracts, and Italy would supply helicopters.

The reason? European political parties are funded by kickbacks from arms exports to “third-world countries”. British prime ministers John Major and Tony Blair put massive pressure on our ministers to buy BAE warplanes that the SA Air Force considered to be both too expensive and unsuited to SA’s needs.

The former British secretary for trade and industry, Patricia Hewitt, confirmed that bribes were paid to secure the BAE warplane contracts with SA, but she pleaded they were “within acceptable limits”.

The Guardian newspaper estimates those “acceptable limits” at about £160m (R2bn).

The French governmentcontrolled arms company, Thomson CSF (Thint), which conspired to bribe Zuma, is internationally notorious as an instrument through which successive French governments have subverted democracy in Africa and elsewhere.

Under pressure from BAE, the British government in 1998 and 1999 refused to investigate allegations of bribery against Tony Yengeni and others because it was then not illegal to bribe foreigners.

Church leaders and other voices of civil society pleaded during the 1996-98 Defence Review that poverty, not foreign invasion, was the very real and urgent threat to SA’s stability and democracy. Mbeki chaired the cabinet arms deal committee, and smeared opponents of the arms deal as “racist”.

It is increasingly evident that Zuma is a small fish in the saga, made a scapegoat to divert attention from Mbeki’s far greater culpability.

Terry Crawford- Browne, Milnerton

I have a problem with columnist Xolela Mangcu, who, when he is not promoting his academic work at Wits University, is quoting himself, Self-confident Zuma’s political gamble appears to be paying off, (August 3).

Mangcu has lately been profiling his learned friends in Business Day, and thus turning a blind eye to current affairs.

Now that he has decided to comment on the succession debate, he distances himself from other people’s views by quoting himself.

Mangcu must buy space in the paper to promote his work at Wits University, and must use his column to engage in debates, not in promotions.

Madibeng Kgwete, Soshanguve

It was with interest and the usual anticipation that I read Xolela Mangcu’s column, Self-confident Zuma’s political gamble appears to be paying off, (August 3).

What is intriguing is the fact that Xolela is now so careful about criticising and airing his views from the gut. Could it be that the recent bashing from government has tamed his pen? Could it be that Xolela’s recent focus on scholastic work has made him much more “mature” and thus more careful in his analysis?

The fire that used to come out of his heart and pen is now so timid that one wonders if he is already being lined up for a big black employment equity post to shut him up.

Please Xolela, do what you know best, critical analysis and sharp views, for therein lies your strength, appeal and character. For our democracy to thrive, we need men of pen and wisdom to shout the truth until we are on the right path.

The likes of Vuyo Mvoko and Aubrey Matshiqi are still spewing out fire that will help shape this golden democracy of ours. The youth of this country look forward to your column on Thursdays, let the real Mangcu we know and admire come out please!

Pitso Tsibolane, Vorna Valley

With acknowledgement to Terry Crawford- Browne, Madibeng Kgwete, Pitso Tsibolane and Business Day.