Publication	Business Day
Date	2011-11-21
Reporter	Sapa
Web Link	www.bday.co.za

President Jacob Zuma says it will be out of order for him to comment on serious allegations of corruption made against Mac Maharaj, his spokesman

President Jacob Zuma says it will be out of order for him to comment on the controversy involving his spokesman, Mac Maharaj, SAfm radio reported on Monday.

At the weekend, the Sunday Times newspaper published allegations that Mr Maharaj and his wife had received millions of rand in kickbacks while he was minister of transport, for awarding a R265m contract to a consortium linked to French arms manufacturer Thales.

The beleaguered African National Congress stalwart is also fending off separate allegations by the Mail & Guardian that he lied under oath while giving evidence to the Scorpions during their investigation of the arms deal. The newspaper was forced to black out large chunks of its lead story on Friday after Mr Maharaj threatened the paper with legal action if it went ahead with publication.

"Mr Maharaj is handling that matter at a legal level, so I don’t think I’m qualified to come in and comment on it," Mr Zuma told a business breakfast on Monday hosted by The New Age newspaper.

He added: "It would be clearly out of order while the matter is handled at that level and then I come in and say, ‘This is what I want to do.’"

Mr Zuma has already established a commission of inquiry into the arms deal, and related queries have to be directed there, he said.

"Why should I then take the job of the commission even if Mac was doing nothing about it? I’ve got a commission to deal with the matter," he said.

‘MAJOR PUBLIC INTEREST’

Earlier, the South African National Editors’ Forum (Sanef) came out in support of an attempt by the M&G to obtain permission to publish information that purportedly proves the allegations that Mr Maharaj and his wife received kickbacks while he was a member of the Cabinet.

"Sanef is concerned that the testimony by Maharaj, who as the spokesman for President Jacob Zuma is at the heart of government, should be kept secret and joins the M&G in requesting (National Prosecuting Authority head) Menzi Simelane to release the record immediately," the forum said on Monday.

It added: "Information about Maharaj’s testimony and conduct, given his high-profile role in government and his former role as minister of transport, is of major public interest."

Sanef said it was concerned that reporters Sam Sole and Stefaans Brümmer could be arrested after Mr Maharaj laid charges against them at Parkview police station in Johannesburg on Saturday for being in possession of a document that could prove the allegations.

Mr Maharaj wants the police to establish whether the publication and the reporters broke the provisions of section 41(6) of the National Prosecuting Act of 1998, and to investigate whether records of NPA inquiries had been stolen.

The charges relate to Friday’s edition of the newspaper, which featured black blocks on the cover and an inside page obscuring information it could not publish.

The NPA Act makes it an offence to disclose evidence gathered in camera by a section 28 inquiry ­ providing for a maximum penalty of 15 years in jail, reported the M&G.

Nic Dawes, editor of the M&G, said the charges would "not wash in any court", as Mr Maharaj’s instigation of legal action leaned heavily on the newspaper’s possession ­ rather than disclosure ­ of the information.

"The act pertains to the disclosure of information ... [the way the story was published] we did not disclose it," he said.

Mr Maharaj is expected to address the National Press Club in Pretoria on Tuesday.

Asked for a response to a call by the Democratic Alliance (DA) that he be suspended, he said: "It’s a free country."

Stuart Farrow, DA transport spokesman, said he had lodged a request with the public protector to investigate the matter.

With acknowledgements to Sapa and Business Day.

Now this is both absolute crap and precisely what I expewcted this low-life arshole to do.

The driver's licence contract and Arms deal have got absolutely nothing to do with each other and so the former is not only not within the terms of reference, but either or both of the commissioners or counsel representing the potentially implicated would scream blue murder if a witness tried to bring in the corruption allegations surrounding the driver's licence contract.

The Arms Deal contract was signed on 3 December 1999.

The Minerly (sic) British Virgin Island (sic) agency agreement was signed on 5 July 1996.

The first payment of FRF600 000 was made on 11 October 1996 from Thomson-CSF's Bank Parabas Paris account into Minderley Investments Banque SCS Alliance Geneva Account No. 95436.

The second payment of FRF600 000 was made on 11 March 1997 from Thomson-CSF's Bank Parabas Paris account into Minderley Investments Banque SCS Alliance Geneva Account No. 95436.

The first payment of FRF600 000 was made on 16 October 1996 from Minderley Investments Inc. Bank Account No. 95436 Banque SCS Alliance Geneva into Zarina Maharaj's Account No. 95437at Banque SCS Alliance Geneva.

The second payment of FRF600 000 was made on 13 March 1997 from Minderley Investments Inc. Bank Account No. 95436 Banque SCS Alliance Geneva into Zarina Maharaj's Account No. 95437 at Banque SCS Alliance Geneva.

The transfer of the first payment of FRF600 000 was made on 22 October 1996 into Mac and Zarina Maharaj's joint account at Allied Dunbar Bank, Isle of Man Bank Account No. 11444107.

The transfer of the second payment of FRF600 000 was made on 10 April 1997 into Mac and Zarina Maharaj's joint account at Allied Dunbar Bank, Isle of Man Bank Account No. 11444107.

Even chronologically, just what possibly can these two crimes have to do with each other?

Other than involving the same old trough fillers Thomson-CSF and Schabir Shaik.

And similar modus operandi for the trough feeder and testicle holdee Jacob Zuma and his fellow trough feeder and testicle holder Mac Maharaj.

And is it a free country?

Siccos.

But in Operation Two Elephants the one elephant succumbed to cannibalism and the other is devouring itself like a black-tip shark freshly speared by a fisher of corrupt sharks.

Umginginhlovu.

May Bheki Jacobs rest in peace and humour.