MBOMBELA – Premier Mr David Mabuza says he is considering laying criminal charges against Mr Mathews Phosa. This follows on the spreading of a report claiming that Mabuza was a spy in the apartheid era to the ANC leadership.
Mabuza yesterday confirmed that he has further taken the matter to court and laid civil charges against Phosa. He also requested president MrJacob Zuma to appoint a judicial commission of enquiry to investigate the matter.
The report alleging that Mabuza was a spy who worked for the security police from 1985 to 1993 was sent to the party’s deputy secretary general, Ms Jessie Duarte. She apparently shared it with president Mr Jacob Zuma, deputy president Mr Cyril Ramaphosa, secretary general Mr Gwede Mantashe, and treasurer general Dr Zweli Mkhize.
Mabuza had served in Phosa’s cabinet when he became premier after 1994. Phosa’s wife, Pinky in turn served on Mabuza’s provincial cabinet until this year’s general elections. Phosa, who is also the former treasurer general of the ANC, says it was his duty to inform the party’s leadership of the report.
“I did my duty to report this matter of public interest. I reported it, as it is tradition, to my leadership – not to the media. I was not prepared to hide these allegations from my leadership. I simply reported allegations of crimes committed on our soil. This is the duty of every citizen.
“It is the duty of our leadership to follow up these cases. It doesn’t matter who the source is alleged to be. The message in the report suggests more information and leads to what eluded the Truth and Reconciliation Commission,” Phosa said.
Mabuza said Phosa was the author of the report. “According to me, Phosa is the author and distributor of this information and I will sue him for authoring this document.
“I don’t know how one can describe (mine as) the conduct of a spy because I struggled. I was arrested and I served in the structures of the ANC.”
He said he was prepared to prove to the ANC that these allegations were nothing but innuendo.
