Nkandla delayed - again

Public Protector Thuli Madonsela will not announce the release date of her final report on the R206 million security upgrades to President Jacob Zuma’s private residence at Nkandla in KwaZulu-Natal tomorrow.

There will not be an announcement this Sunday,” Madonsela’s spokesperson, Kgalalelo Masibi, said.

She told Saturday Citizen yesterday the delay is due to a request for an extension.

“The last input is expected on February 14 and the announcement will be made shortly thereafter,” she said.

It emerged last week that former police commissioner Bheki Cele could delay the release of the report on wasteful spending.

Cele had requested documents and asked for time to respond to Madonsela’s allegations that he failed to stop a splurge at Nkandla.

Madonsela is under heavy political pressure to release the final report on the upgrades.

The DA has once again requested the disclosure of the January 2013 Public Works task team report into Nkandla.

This follows the DA’s court application to the Western Cape High Court in November, after its application to gain access to the report in terms of the Promotion of Access to Information Act was rejected.

The court ruled the matter as urgent, to be heard on February 18.

DA parliamentary leader Lindiwe Mazibuko said the task team report, released by Cabinet in December 2013, showed certain discrepancies, which led her to conclude the report was re-written in a way that hides the nature and extent of any exclusions.

“The nature and extent of the differences between the December 2013 and January 2013 reports have never been revealed.”

Mazibuko questioned various aspects of the report, which included the date, reflected as December instead of January, when the report was originally compiled.

“The 19 December 2013 report gives no indication that it was an edited version of the January task team report,” she said.

Mazibuko pointed out that the continued attempts to delay the release of the Public Protector’s report is part of a plan to use the report as the “alternative” explanation for what transpired.

- The Citizen

Voetsek Zille, say ANC marchers

 Picture: Cindy Waxa CAPE ARGUS

Cape Town - The election battle for the Western Cape turned nasty on Wednesday as ANC provincial chairman Marius Fransman publicly insulted DA leader Helen Zille to her face on the steps of the provincial legislature in front of about 1 500 ANC supporters.

They had marched on the offices of Cape Town mayor Patricia de Lille at the Civic Centre and then the offices of Zille in Wale Street. Zille met the crowd on the steps of the legislature to accept an ANC memorandum.

But before presenting the memorandum, Fransman, speaking over a loud hailer, called Zille a “master of the politics of deception”.

To a background of jeers and boos from the crowd, Fransman accused her of being anti-poor, of having failed as premier and of being unwilling to personally use the government-issue portable toilets frequently found in informal settlements.

The crowd also waved insulting placards: one portrayed Zille as Pinocchio with the subscript “Premier Liar”.

Visibly irate, Zille was seen speaking sternly in Fransman’s ear as he spoke. Yet she was not afforded the chance to address the crowd, with an ANC member leading the toyi-toying and saying that

he did not want to hear her “squeaky voice”. It was “her time to listen”, he said.

Fuming, Zille took the memorandum from Fransman and re-entered the building.

The memorandum accused the DA provincial government of “ignoring the demands of our people” and of failing on service delivery, fighting gangsterism and redressing land ownership in central Cape Town which, according to Fransman, remained in the hands of the “white elite”.

Asked to comment later, Zille told the Cape Argus the provincial government respected the ANC’s right to march, but she slammed the ANC supporters for being late, for shouting “voetsek” (go away) when she came to meet them at their request, and for denying her the opportunity to address them.

“After demanding that I address the marchers, the ANC and Cosatu leaders of the march denied me the opportunity to speak because they knew I would demolish the lies that Fransman… had been stating as fact.

“It is also ironic that they were demanding the release of land, which the national Department of Public Works holds, and on which the national department has not responded to our requests for three years.

“If I had been given the right to speak, I would have told the marchers that, at long last, the Western Cape government is making progress with securing the release of much-needed land from the national Department of Public Works in the city.”

One of the marchers told the Cape Argus about her hopes for the elections and the reasons why she supported the ANC.

Single mother Nomakula Mdygolo, 47, has been an ANC member since her youth and is a veteran of Umkhonto we Sizwe (the ANC’s armed wing during the liberation struggle).

She is unemployed and lives in a shack in Khayelitsha, where she does not have access to a flush toilet.

“We feel that the DA government has betrayed us,” she said.

“Zille is a woman like myself, yet I do not feel she understands my plight as a single mother trying to raise a child in these conditions.

“The toilets fill up with faeces, then come the flies and the disease. It is a terrible way to live and that is why I want the DA out of power.”

Mdygolo admitted that she was loyal to the ANC and would not turn on the party, even if it betrayed her.

Meanwhile, traders in St George’s Mall, Greenmarket Square and around the CBD hastily packed up as the marchers made their way up Adderley Street from the Civic Centre to Wale Street. Many were victims when a previous march turned ugly last October, losing their goods and cash.

“We are very angry,” said Mor Fall, of the square’s Traders Association.

“Law enforcement told me to my face that they could not protect us if there was looting. Now, who will pay for the lost money? Some of us stand to lose around a R1 000 because of losing half a day’s trading. The city must answer to this.”

Richard Bosman, executive director for safety and security in the city, responded: “Law enforcement officers were asked to inform the traders about the march taking place. At no stage did staff say they could not guarantee the traders their safety. Today’s march was very small with no more than 1 000 people present.”

daneel.knoetze@inl.co.za

- Cape Argus

ps Zille &  Fransman are at fault here both have failed in equal measures.

Housing protest shuts Helderberg roads

Cape Town - Just a day after hundreds marched through Cape Town in a service delivery protest, police were pelted with stones by residents of Sir Lowry’s Pass Village, who also burned tyres and blocked roads with rubble in a violent protest over housing.

Hundreds of protesters blocked the road leading into the village with burning tree stumps, rubble and tyres and had a stand-off with police, who were attacked with stones.

The Sir Lowry’s Pass Village protest followed on the heels of a major political protest march held by the ANC yesterday, during which activists also demanded “proper” housing.

The Sir Lowry’s residents were protesting over a temporary relocation area (TRA) being built by the council.

The floor plans for the first few units in the Riemvasmaak TRA were detailed this week.

However, residents, who are to be relocated from areas which flood during winter, have complained that the units will be too small for their families and furniture.

Alf Johnson, a lifelong resident of the area, lives with six other family members in a spacious shack on the edge of the stream which runs through the village. Every winter his home floods.

“Last time we had heavy rains the water was up to my ankles. A lot of my furniture has been damaged,” he said.

“I applied to relocate here to Riemvasmaak, but now I can see that this will not work. There is barely enough space for two people to live (in the new accommodation).”

Residents said the new accommodation had been badly designed, and they had not been properly consulted during the planning process.

Magriet Britz, of the Neighbourhood Watch, acknowledged the people’s unhappiness, and also said the units were too small.

However, she reprimanded the protesters for raising these issues now, at the last minute.

“There were meetings to discuss the planning for Riemvasmaak,” she said.

“But, people don’t bother coming to these meetings. They are absent when the consultation happens, or when they are there they do not speak up and make their voices heard. Now they have to accept the outcome, because it is too late to change things.”

At the time of publication, residents and local ward councillor Johan Middleton were meeting at a nearby town hall, but the City of Cape Town had not responded to Cape Argus queries.

Provincial traffic chief Kenny Africa said there were about 200 protesters but other witnesses estimated that there were many more. Africa said the protest had not affected traffic on the nearby N2 highway, but some local roads had been closed.

- Cape Argus

‘Sanral stopping service delivery in Zola, Strand’

Cape Town - The City of Cape Town has hit back at the SA National Roads Agency Ltd over its claims it was being held to ransom over a proposed R10 billion tolling of the N1 and N2.

The city said it was Sanral which had stopped it from providing services to Zola residents in Strand.

“Sanral must stop this blame game and put the needs of residents first. Sanral refused to allow the city to provide these services and used the dispute between the city and Sanral on the proposed N1 and N2 Winelands Toll Road Project as the basis for their refusal,” mayoral committee member for human settlements Tandeka Gqada said on Wednesday.

On Monday, more than 1 000 people, including children were left homeless after 450 shacks were demolished under a court order Sanral had obtained.

A day later, in response to a request for comment, Sanral spokesman Vusi Mona said the city’s opposition to Sanral’s proposal to buy property earmarked for the relocation of illegal occupants of the land along the Onverwacht Interchange resulted in the “unnecessary” eviction.

The city’s stance was “purely based on political expediency” he had said.

Gqada said on Wednesday that the city had insisted that Sanral provide water and sanitation services to the households, but its attempts to get a commitment from the agency had failed.

“The city has never objected to Sanral buying land for the historical occupiers of the land when this was discussed in 2011. Sanral’s statement is an obvious attempt to pass the buck on to the city, and is disingenuous,” Gqada said.

Gqada said the city was not responsible for policing the informal settlement and could not provide services as the land was privately owned.

“As the settlements are on private land, the city may not provide services without the consent of the land owner. In the 2004/2005 financial year, Sanral allowed the city to provide a certain number of container toilets. These toilets have unfortunately been vandalised and damaged beyond repair,” she said.

“Sanral appointed a private company to halt further growth of the settlements but new structures, were still erected,” said Gqada.

Sanral spokesman Vusi Mona did not respond to messages. Zobuzwe Ngobese of Meropa Communications which sent Mona’s comment on Tuesday said: “Your query is receiving attention. We will revert with a response.”

Meanwhile Zola resident Ntombovuyo Mdakandini, whose shack was demolished on Monday, said it has been difficult for them to relocate.

“Some of us are sleeping at the community hall. Our building material, which was taken by the officials has not been returned to us. Some have been sleeping at their relatives’ homes. It’s been difficult for us to find a place to stay and we don’t know how long we will stay here,” said Mdakandini.

siyavuya.mzantsi@inl.co.za

- Cape Times

‘No peace until we get proper housing’

Cape Town - Expelled City of Cape Town councillors have told the mayor that Mowbray Golf Course, Rondebosch Common, disused military land at Youngsfield and Wingfield and land in Goodwood could be used for housing for the poor.

Former councillor Andile Lili warned mayor Patricia de Lille there would be no peace in Cape Town until the living conditions of the poor were improved.

Wednesday’s meeting between De Lille, Housing MEC Bonginkosi Madikizela, the Concerned Citizens’ Group, the new civic organisation Ses’khona and residents of various informal settlements such as Kanana, Barcelona, Dunoon, Macassar, Kosovo and Delft, quickly turned into a stand-off as tempers flared and voices were raised.

“We want land for proper housing. We want dignity for all. Until then, there will be no peace,” Lili said. “We are not interested in politics any more. We will mobilise at least a million people. If you are not careful you will see the anger of the poor.”

After her initial calls for consultation in “good faith” turned into “grandstanding”, De Lille said: “I am always ready to fight. I am not afraid of anyone. I will not deny you your right to protest because I fought for that right.”

Former ANC councillor Loyiso Nkohla, who was recently expelled from the city for his involvement in the poo protests last year, fired the last salvo: “We are (more) prepared than her to fight. We will meet fire with fire.”

Madikizela was told by community members to sit when he tried to correct allegations that had been made against him regarding provincial housing delivery. Residents walked out of the meeting after De Lille told them to “stop their nonsense”.

There was also vocal disappointment that Western Cape Premier Helen Zille was not present at the meeting, which was held shortly before the ANC’s march to the provincial legislature.

Both Lili and Nkohla were involved in last year’s housing protest march that ended in chaos when a breakaway group looted stalls in the city centre.

The former councillors said they had identified 32 tracts of land that could be used for housing. These included Mowbray Golf Course – when its lease expires next month – Rondebosch Common, land in Goodwood, and Youngsfield and Wingfield.

Lili and Nkohla refused to let city officials show a presentation on the city’s human settlements programme.

“We can no longer be locked in engagements and in boardrooms. We will fight until the people listen,” said Nkohla.

Lili added: “Let’s not talk about what government has done, but about what the people want.”

De Lille said: “I would like to place on record that the city is taking part in today’s engagement without prejudice, as the city is still pursuing legal action against some individuals present here today.”

Arms deal activist Terry Crawford-Browne, representing the Concerned Citizens’ Group, said the city’s informal settlements were a “blight and a disgrace”.

“We are sitting on a social time bomb, and we know it as we have been sitting on it for 20 years.”

Crawford-Browne said it was likely that President Jacob Zuma would announce during his State of the Nation speech that military land at Youngsfield and Wingfield would be transferred to the city for housing.

While the R100 billion needed to provide 250 000 social housing units was beyond the city’s capacity, this could be done with funding from the national government.

Madikizela admitted that there were people who did not qualify for free houses or housing subsidies because of their monthly income, but who could not afford a bond from a bank. “The reality is that there are people who are not accommodated by the current housing policy.”

He said the province was grappling with a R26bn backlog in infrastructure. “So we might have the land but if we don’t have money to ensure that people can flush their toilet, we will still have problems.”

Lili said they had applied for permission for a housing march next month, and would take their fight to court if necessary.

- Cape Argus

Sanral slams Cape after eviction of 1 000

Cape Town - Sanral says the city pulling out of a deal to buy land for the homeless because it wanted the agency to first resolve its dispute over the proposed R10 billion tolling of the N1 and N2 resulted in more than 1 000 people being evicted at Zola on Monday.

“The City of Cape Town’s opposition to Sanral’s proposal to buy property earmarked for the relocation of illegal occupants of the land along the Onverwacht Interchange has resulted in the unnecessary eviction of the people of Zola informal settlement,” said SA National Roads Agency spokesman Vusi Mona on Tuesday in response to a Cape Times query.

“This change in the city’s stance was purely based on political expediency and it is rather unfortunate that the ideology of the city and its regrettable opposition to a policy of the government to relocate people has resulted in inconvenience to some families in the area.”

City spokeswoman Priya Reddy said on Tuesday night: “The Sanral statement has just come to our attention. We will consider it and provide comment in due course.”

Mona said: “The latest move is in sharp contrast to the City of Cape Town’s suggestion in 2011 that Sanral should negotiate with the owner of portions 9 and 17 of the farm No 681 in Stellenbosch with the intention of purchasing these properties.

“The intention was for Sanral to acquire these properties and to then donate them to the City of Cape Town.

“In return, the City of Cape Town had identified a property at the Macassar Interchange that was to be developed, together with a small portion of land owned by Sanral, for the relocation of the (illegal occupants of the land along the Onverwacht Interchange).

“This plan followed meetings held during March and April 2011 which were attended by representatives of Sanral with officials and councillors of the City of Cape Town.

“On 2 August 2011, the owner of portions 9 and 17 of the farm 681 signed a sale agreement for those properties. The price had been determined by the owner in consultation with independent valuators appointed by Sanral and this transaction was about to be approved by Sanral when we received notification that the City of Cape Town would not pursue the provision of low-income housing opportunities on the land adjoining Macassar Interchange until its dispute with Sanral regarding the tolling of the N1 and N2 had been resolved,” said Mona.

“Consequently, Sanral could not pursue the purchase of portions 9 and 17 of the farm 681.”

The property was invaded on January 18 and occupied illegally.

Mona said attempts to prevent the invasion were “met with aggressive resistance”.

“When the assistance of the SAPS was sought, the organisation was informed that prior to any assistance being afforded, a court order was required.

“A court order, interdicting and restraining people intending to invade, occupy and erect structures on the subject property, was finally made by the Western Cape High Court on Friday, 24 January.”

On Monday, more than 1 000 residents were evicted.

On Tuesday, eight Zola residents were released after spending a night in jail allegedly for participating in an illegal gathering.

Charges against them were dropped in the Strand Magistrate’s Court as there was not enough evidence.

They were arrested on Monday during a protest after 450 shacks were demolished at Zola.

Among those arrested was a 17-year-old schoolgirl. Her mother, Nomandla Msolo, said she was arrested even though she was not part of the crowd protesting.

“I don’t know why they arrested her. She just came from school. When she was arrested I asked what had she done because she was not even protesting.

“My daughter spent the night in jail, missed school for something she did not do and she is a minor,” said Msolo.

About 150 residents gathered outside the court demanding the release of the eight.

They were addressed by expelled ANC councillor Andile Lili, who said the residents had called him to assist.

“The residents said they needed our help after their homes were demolished. We held a meeting with the residents (on Monday night) and we organised lawyers.

“After this, we will open a case because the residents’ building material was taken from them. Some were crying yesterday because they had no place to stay,” Lili said.

In November 2011, the city applied to the Western Cape High Court for an interdict to prevent Sanral from going ahead with the toll roads. The parties later agreed that the city would halt its interdict application and Sanral would not start work on the projects until a review was completed.

It was agreed if Sanral decided to start work, it would give the city 45 days’ notice. The notification was received on March 6 last year. - Cape Times

Plans to close Cape Town housing gap

Cape Town - The Cape Town mayoral committee has proposed that plots of city-owned land be sold at reduced rates to help close the housing gap.

Councillor Tandeka Gqada said the recommendation was made to the city council on Tuesday.

“As a caring city, it is not only important to provide housing opportunities as a means of achieving redress, but it is also vital to enable previously disadvantaged residents to own an immovable asset,” she said in a statement.

Only the applications of people earning between R3 500 and R15 000, who have not previously bought or acquired residential housing, would be considered. They would also need to be first-time home owners.

“This market segment has been grossly neglected in the past... Ownership is true economic empowerment,” Gqada said.

Depending on the size of the plot, the prices were expected to range between R19 000 and R27 000.

The land under consideration comprised 88 serviced plots in Makhaza, Khayelitsha, and 64 plots in Atlantis.

- Sapa

Service delivery protest in Milnerton

Cape Town - Residents of the Joe Slovo informal settlement in Milnerton blocked roads in a service delivery protest on Friday, Western Cape police said.

Captain Frederick van Wyk said people had burned tyres on Freedom Way from 7am.

At least 100 people planned to march from Joe Slovo to the municipal office behind Racecourse road to hand over a memorandum.

Van Wyk said the City of Cape Town had granted them permission to march.

“Currently everything is under control,” he said.

Roads were cleared and the public order police were on the scene with local police officers to monitor the situation.

No arrests had been made. 

- Sapa

Moladi Showcases at World Design Capital Cape Town 2014

Design Indaba will feature moladi in a large exhibition called "Africa is Now", which will take place at the Design Indaba Expo to be hosted in Cape Town from the 28 Feb-2 March 2014. 

The Design Indaba is the largest design/innovation event in the Southern Hemisphere and attracts close to 50 000 local and international visitors. This includes 500 buyers from South Africa, Africa and around the world, major media partners such as the Sunday Times, Mail & Guardian, eTV, Wallpaper magazine and dezeen.com, as well as government officials and dignitaries from South Africa, Africa and beyond, and entrepreneurs and creative small-business owners.

It is a curated show that Design Indaba has initiated. This is a prestigious exhibition to be part of and a rare opportunity to showcase our product at the expo. Fifty five products from across Africa have been chosen, of which only fifteen are from South Africa and moladi being one.

The "Africa Is Now" exhibition: It is a specially curated area within the expo and will occupy a central position on the expo floor. It is expect to attract a lot of interest from the media, design community and public. It covers the latest developments in craft, technology, fashion, furniture, architecture, and social impact projects from all over Africa.

More info about moladi is available here - moladi

More info about - World Design Capital Cape Town 2014

TEAM moladi

www.moladi.net

“Train the unemployed to build for the homeless”

EFF Nkandla house recipient ‘not destitute’

A woman who received a house from the EFF near President Jacob Zuma's controversial Nkandla homestead is far from destitute, the Sunday Times reported.

On January 11, Economic Freedom Fighters leader Julius Malema attended a ceremony in Nkandla to hand over a house his party built to S'thandiwe Hlongwane and her children.

The newspaper reported that Hlongwane is married to a senior archivist at the KwaZulu-Natal department of arts and culture, who earns around R250 000 a year.

Hlongwane and her husband, Lucky Nene, own at least two other properties and a VW Polo and a Toyota Hilux.

Last year Hlongwane reportedly took Malema to the ramshackle home where she was brought up.

Malema said that, as far as he knew, Hlongwane was an unmarried mother of two.

Asked why she had accepted the house from the EFF, Hlongwane said: “They just wanted to help a poor family”.

Nene said he tried to seek advice from Zuma, his wife Sizakele Khumalo, a local chief and the local ANC councillor, before his wife accepted the house. 

- Sapa

Sanitation part of Khayelitsha crime problem

Cape Town - Better sanitation for informal settlement dwellers could reduce Khayelitsha's crime problems, a local activist told the Khayelitsha commission of inquiry on Friday.

Social Justice Coalition (SJC) activist Phumeza Mlungwana was the last person to take the stand in week one of the commission's hearings on claims of police inefficiency in the area, in Cape Town.

“People would be less vulnerable to crime... if sanitation is sorted and the relationship between sanitation and crime is addressed,” Mlungwana said.

Many people were robbed while walking to communal toilets or to the bushes at night to relieve themselves, she told the commissioners, retired judge Kate O'Regan and advocate Vusi Pikoli.

Mlungwana told the packed hall in Khayelitsha, where the hearings are being held, about her own experiences with crime.

“I've been robbed a couple of time going to school... to the Sanlam Centre,” she said.

Reporting the robberies was futile, as she did not expect the criminals to be arrested or her belongings to be recovered.

Earlier, the commission heard from the relatives of two men killed by vigilantes.

Nomakhuma Bontshi, the aunt of 30-year-old Andile Ntsholo, who was necklaced in May 2012, broke down and dabbed away tears with a blue handkerchief after telling commissioners her story. Necklacing involves placing a car tyre over someone's head and setting it alight.

The night before her nephew was found dead in B-section, residents gathered at her sister's house and told them they would be packing his bags and forcing him out of the area because he was accused of stealing cellphones from residents, Bontshi said. His charred body was found in Khayelitsha the next morning.

“The police arrived at our house the next morning and asked us who could have done this and we said we don't know.”

She said it was the first and last time they heard from police.

“We never got around to find out everything from the police. All I know is God will reveal who did this.”

Norman Arendse, for the police, asked her why she had not contacted the police when her nephew's neighbours threatened to evict him.

“Because the residents were so angry.... We thought even the police wouldn't be able to do anything about it,” she answered.

Harare resident Mzoxolo Tame was the next to take the stand. Tame's cousin Xolisile was killed in January last year after allegedly being caught breaking into a house.

Tame told the commission of his encounter with the investigating officer, shortly before his cousin's body was identified. He described the officer as rude, dismissive and disrespectful.

When asked what the detective told him, he quoted the officer.

“He said, I quote: 'The laaitie (youth) was caught with his body halfway through the window of a house and he was moered (beaten up)',” said Tame.

A woman, her son, and another man were arrested and later released on bail. Tame said he had yet to hear from Harare police how far the case had progressed.

He told O'Regan and Pikoli how he felt about the attitude of police officers in Harare in general.

“They don't understand their fundamental responsibility... They think they are doing the community a favour,” Tame said.

“Their attitude is not that of public servants.”

The commission was set up to probe allegations of police inefficiency in Khayelitsha following several mob justice killings, allegedly as a result of residents' frustrations with police inaction.

- Sapa

SAFM Podcast: Should South Africa legalise Cannabis?

Listen to the SAFM podcast click here:

Poo protest leaders threaten chaos

Cape Town - Andile Lili and Loyiso Nkohla have again threatened to bring chaos and “ungovernability” to the city centre, apparently because Premier Helen Zille would not meet with them in person.

The duo pioneered Cape Town’s poo protests last year and led a march of informal settlement dwellers on the city centre. The march descended into chaos when a group of marchers broke away from a picket in front of the provincial parliament and looted traders’ stalls in the city centre.

After this, a group of religious and community leaders formed the Concerned Citizens Group (CCG) to mediate with the informal settlement leaders. Yesterday, Lili and Nkohla met with a CCG delegation to discuss the agenda for a planned meeting with city and provincial officials to discuss grievances over poor sanitation services in many of the city’s informal settlements.

“Our engagements are always cordial, but there was obvious frustration from their side because we could not give a guarantee that the premier would be present at the meeting,” said the Rev Gordon Oliver, a CCG representative.

Oliver was however, shocked to see statements, published in the media this morning, in which Lili and Nkohla threatened violence and another march on the CBD. He then issued a call for calm and a continuation of “peaceful discussion”.

Meanwhile, the group have approached Zille’s office to inquire about the possibility of her attending the meeting, on February 5, in person. However, Zille’s spokesman Zak Mbhele this morning said that the premier would not attend the meeting.

“Lili and Nkohla’s statements reveal very clearly the political nature of their agenda,” he said.

“Minister Bonginkosi Madikizela already met with them in a lengthy meeting on November 27 where he explained what the Western Cape Government was doing to deliver on all the programmes of the provincial Department of Human Settlements.

“That they ignore this and continue to threaten ungovernability simply shows bad faith.”

The cellphones of Lili and Nkohla were switched off this morning.

- Cape Argus

A heavy-handed bid to deter leaks

Government has revealed its intention to deter leaks by deploying the State Security Agency and police to find out who leaked Nkandla to the M&G.

A City Press report that the combined might of the State Security Agency (SSA) and the police has been deployed to find out who leaked details of the public protector's preliminary report on President Jacob Zuma's Nkandla homestead to the Mail & Guardian will send a chill down the collective spine of South African journalism.

Public protector Thuli Madonsela has made it clear that her office did not request the investigation and that, because of its constitutional independence, it could not become involved in such an exercise. In other words, the authorities have taken it on themselves to meddle – and, in a pointed departure from normal practice, have confirmed what they are up to.

That prompts the suspicion that this is a heavy-handed attempt to deter leaks and whistle-blowing by state officials. The obvious risk and, presumably, purpose – is that it will drive the sources used by amaBhungane into the open and scare off anyone else who may be planning to leak information about the R200-million Nkandla home improvement scheme that will further hurt Number One.

It is also clearly calculated to bolster the fiction that the government's various attempts to put a lid on the Nkandla scandal have been driven by concerns for the president's security. This is how the public works department played the issue during its initial stonewalling of media requests for information on Nkandla, and it was also cited to justify the elaborate secrecy that, at the outset, shrouded the ministerial task team's report.

Madonsela's preliminary findings contained security-sensitive information, the SSA and police investigation is clearly intended to suggest, so whoever leaked its contents may be guilty of a major security breach.

Click here for Irony

Two imposing pieces of evidence have given the lie to this version of events. After being confronted with a high court application under the Promotion of Access to Information Act, the public works department abandoned the pretext that it was constrained by considerations for Zuma's safety and released 12 000 pages of documents relating to Nkandla, almost unredacted, to amaBhungane.

A similar double game was visible over the task team report, which the government first clutched to its breast in a frenzy of protectiveness and then released in its entirety, after the M&G's disclosures, to limit the damage.

If the spooks and the police are indeed on a mission to flush out our anony­mous informants, that is deeply worrying. There is a strong body of legal opinion, supported by jurisprudence, that the Constitution upholds the rights of media practitioners to protect their sources.

- M&G

For more Irony read here:

In 2010, the Lawals’ holding company signed a memorandum with Zuma’s charity, the Jacob G Zuma RDP Education Trust, pledging R1-million annually for five years. The following year, Lawal accompanied Zuma to his alma mater, the Texas Southern University, to get an honorary doctorate.

- M&G