Politics.za

We don’t think South Africa is seen as an enemy

That’s National Intelligence Co-ordinating Committee Director-General Barry Gilder on whether SA could be a target for Islamist terrorist groups.

Perhaps Mr Gilder has forgotten the bombing spree in the second half of the 1990’s in Cape Town perpetrated by local Islamist groups (at the time thought to be PAGAD and Qibla) including the Planet Hollywood bombing in August of 1998?

In an attempt to “kick-start” talks with Zimbabwe, President Mbeki is sending Minister of Intelligence Ronnie Kasrils to meet with Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe. Isn’t he sending the wrong minister? Shouldn’t he be sending Minister of Foreign Affairs Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma? She’s been out of the news for an awful long time and seems to have ceded her role over to Mbeki with his constant role in conflicts around Africa, and now to other ministers like Kasrils. Does Kasrils has some special relationship with Mugabe that makes him the better choice?

Tired of being SA government’s resident whipping boy Minister of Intelligence Ronnie Kasrils has come out guns blazing against supporters of Jacob Zuma who have accused him of being part of some conspiracy to jail our former deputy president. Particularly stinging is this quote where Kasrils asks why Zuma couldn’t just keep it in his pants

He could easily have saved her, and all of us, from this nightmare by exercising a little self-control…

Eina! Kasrils also challenged his young (former?) comrades in the YCL/ANCYL to either put up some evidence about a grand conspiracy or shut up. Kasrils will also be asking the SACP to censure the YCL at this weekends SACP central planning committee over their accusations against Kasrils. Kasrils must surely be wondering why the YCL is backing an ANC politician over a long time SACP stalwart like himself?

Kasrils does try his best to say that he is neither pro- or anti-Zuma

...I was not in the pro- or anti-Zuma camp. I am a government minister serving my president and the country…

but does have a few choice words about he personally thinks of Zuma

...it is my view that he has let himself and all of us down, and only has himself to blame…

• Stadium plans for Cape Town are moving forward after provincial and local government assured Mayor Helen Zille that Cape Town would not be stuck with the entire bill for construction.

• Minister of Intelligence apoligises for the NIA illegally tapping politicians phones. Although if you ask me he should be apologising because they only managed to tap two of the thirteen intended targets. If you’re going to do something illegal at least do it well.

If you’re in Cape Town tomorrow and have the day off you might want to mosey on down to Parliament and have a seat in the public gallery because I think tomorrow might be a bit, as they say in the local vernacular, bossies.

The plan is to hold a special debate in which the unlawful bugging of various politicians (both ANC and opposition) and businessmen and the e-mail hoax are going to be discussed. Let’s just say I feel sorry for Minister of Intelligence Ronnie Kasrils as he is going to be getting it from all sides (maybe not from the ANC politicians in public but behind the scenes I’m sure there are words being spoken). You’ll probably be able to identify him by the fact that he won’t be sitting at his seat in parliament but rather will be curled up in the foetal position underneath it. The ANC are also going to launch an internal task team to investigate the whole sordid situation.

Now with fired NIA Director General Billy Masetlha suing the president to be reinstated the intelligence community seems to be in a bit of a mess. Frankly I expect the paranoia, accusations and counter-accusations to continue for quite a while. With the multiple Zuma trials, ANC leadership still unclear and the DA still managing to keep the ANC out of power in Cape Town the political scene is ripe for conspiracy.

Suspended head of the NIA Billy Masethla has been given the boot by Thabo Mbeki, following Masethla’s role in the NIA’s unlawful investigation of businessman (and prominent ANC member) Saki Macozoma. Now that’s what I like to see, civil servants who screw up getting the chop!

Although I wonder if Macozoma had been merely a normal citizen (such as you and I) would the punishment have been so severe?