The next time I hear a member of the Scorpions, NPA, a government minister, a current judge, a prosecutor or anyone else charged with “upholding our laws” moaning about the Zuma decision then best they don’t do it anywhere within earshot of the worst temper our profession has ever produced — mine.
Where do I start?
How about the extremely poor man’s Vusi Pikoli, Mokotedi Mpshe — or am I doing Pikoli a disservice?
“The charges against Zuma were dropped on the grounds that there was collusion between Leonard McCarthy, the former head of the Directorate of Special Operations (DSO), and former NPA boss Bulelani Ngcuka. This was after among others, transcripts of telephone calls between the two men were investigated and found to amount to manipulation and abuse of process. Mpshe said the merits of the charges and whether Zuma was guilty or not had not been taken into account in the decision. ‘We are not dealing with the merits, we are dealing with abuse of process … It does not mean an acquittal.’ Keeping an even demeanour, Mpshe said while the charges had been dropped, the information uncovered into the abuse and misconduct would be further investigated.” News 24
Give this genius the William-Heath-Anything-In-Zuma’s-Favour-is-Fine Award and promote him to head of Eskom. Or has that already been promised to Willie Hofmeyr? (Any first-year law students spot the legal flaws in that?) Wait, let me not be nasty I am so so sorry Mokotedi … that you were ever allowed to be appointed head of the NPA. It looks so much better on an opportunist like Hofmeyr. I hope Hofmeyr who was so adamant that the charges be dropped will tell us why.
But that is now done and dusted. If I hear of any of you geniuses posing as men of integrity telling the public how you are investigating all that went on surrounding the charging of Zuma even your grandchildren won’t be able to shake the stigma I’ll leave you with. Just make sure you get your 30 pieces of silver and spare us.
Next to the above geniuses I’m starting to feel kindly towards Hlophe and Motata.
Of course the fact that there has been a “political conspiracy, tapping of phones of highly senior politicians, prisoners released by correctional services without basis and charges dropped without proper foundation and not once the words NATIONAL SECURITY raised or anyone suspended means? It means that if you belong to the team you do what you like, steal what you like and nobody does a thing.
God help the masses of South Africa. And God help any of you that steal one bean from our poorer communities because I will make you so famous your granny will disown you.
If McCarthy and Ngcuka are not facing a barrage of charges, plus extradition this morning what does that mean? Sorry I nearly forgot: It means Mpshe (who was probably once a he) will be so so so so sorry. And that South Africans is the sum total of your justice system.
Why are we not watching as the masterminds behind the political conspiracy MAKE THEIR WAY TO PRISON based upon the enormous damages they inflicted on this country. Of course we know Mpheshe (something like that… is sorry) but is it not rather because nothing at law justifies the dropping of the Zuma charges and all we are looking at is two blackmailers staring each other down?
The tapes simply proving that while one was involved in corruption, the other was using the state machinery to dump him?
Instead of wasting more of the taxpayers’ money let’s just start a quiz: Guess if there’s a crime that Zuma or Mbeki have committed that Heath, Hofmeyr and I’msosorry Mpshe actually consider a crime.
Which leaves Selebi?
If I was the former police commissioner I would point blank refuse to accept a trial in this country. Why? Because quite frankly the legal system is a joke and which judge worthy of the name would you as a South African citizen consider merits the term? Maybe we make Hofmeyr from the “I led the drop the Zuma charges campaign” a judge and he can then tell us all how serious crime are and how preffalent. And for appeal we refer it to William “because Zuma said so” Heath.
Gentlemen of what was once the great South African legal profession and ancillary fields between you, you are not worth a bucket of puke.
If the ANC fails to deliver to the masses of this country because members of the old boys’ club have their snouts so deep in the trough, and like Mbeki before you, you call upon the police and army to sort out your garbage then God help you because for all the religious talk I’m hearing that is the only place you may be getting any aid at all.
When I said give Zuma a political solution before it destroys our criminal justice system and our country nobody listened.
Good luck trying to prosecute big criminals from now on guys — nobody is going to give a rat’s arse about these cowards. Besides they’ll be too busy using the state’s resources punishing me and everyone else that shows them up for the garbage they truly are.
All this talk of “racist liberals”, “pseudo-liberals”. Why the need for qualifiers to “liberals”.
You people who rely on the qualifiers can you please explain to me what a liberal is. I have no idea what you are talking about. But then, I suspect neither do you.
The NPA’s dropping of charges against JZ was undoubtedly the result of current political manipulation of the NPA by the current leadership of the ANC. The justification given by the NPA is; the past manipulation of the NPA by the previous power elite in the ANC. The leadership of the ANC, both current and just past, shamelessly uses the institutions of State to serve themselves and not the ordinary people of the country. A vote for the ANC is giving your support to a parasitic organism which is sucking the life blood out of our country just as ZANU-PF has done in Zimbabwe. Do not vote for the ANC in its cuurrent guise.
Thanks Traps.
You see may take on this is that we as South Africans in general lost our principles.
We look for new vilans while the real once got away.LM & BN did play a game and the name of that game is litigation. We all know that stategy is a big part of litigation, so why blame these to gentlemen for planning the downfall of a corrupt man, soon to be our next president, from taking office?
Zuma is a corrupt man, with no moral fibre. He did his best to avoid trial. And then just to top it all he stood before the nation today and said that the money that Shaik gave him was a loan, which was duly repaid. Lair! Shaik testified that non of the money was repaid. So Zuma is a lying, spineless morally corrupt leader who is just fighting to be the first cat cat at the feeding frenzy that will be his presidency.
Maybe its time for someone to testify how Zuma recieved the $500K from the Angola Goverment???
And maybe its time for us to follow principals and not leader!
Traps is in such a towering rage that he is not explaining very well is he?
When a process is flawed (like evidence found without a warrant) – then that evidence can not be used, but the whole case is not dropped eg the O J Simpson trial.
The ONLY evidence here that is tainted are the tapes – and they are being used to free Zuma not to jail him!
Hagler
There is no conspiracy between MacCarthy and Ncguka. The conspiracy is by the Zuma supporters bugging them (who were the NIA and the police). The very fact that they used their own phones shows they were not spies.
They had evidence of crimes committed bu Zuma. All they are discussing was whether to charge him before or after Polokwane. Discussing this with their former boss and mentor is not a crime. They were not telling him any secrets were they? They all knew what crimes Zuma had committed.
They made the right decision. Charging Zuma before Polokwane would have been worse – for Zuma!
And if the NIA and the police were bugging Ncguka and that is all they got – they are clean! It is the NIA and the police that are dirty.
And since there only appear to be one set of spies – spying for Zuma, then they were the most likley to have faked the Browse Mole as well, to discredit the Scorpions and to protect Zuma and Selebi.
Bongo
Ncguka and MacCarthy can’t be charged. Firstly – they were not conspiring, they were being conspired against. Secondly – the evidence of the tapes is tainted and inadmissable.
This 8-year saga has been, above all, a power struggle — a contest, if you like — between the “Big Man at Shell House” and Jacob Zuma. It finally was decided on Monday in a last set tiebreaker which Jacob Zuma won.
That is it. The rest is anticlimax. The market understood this perfectly, as we saw when the rand strengthened immediately after Mpeshe announced the NPA’s capitulation.
We can argue right or wrong any which way we like, but the only moral to this typical African story of intrigue and counter-intrigue is: the winner takes all.
Now there is, in the words of Jacob Zuma, “… a country to run.” With the “Big Man at Shell House” and his group apparently out of the way, maybe Jacob Zuma and his group will be able to concentrate on doing as good a job as they are capable of.
It seems the best we can hope for right now.
Jon
You are correct. If you “deploy cadres” when the party splits so do the organs of state.
Michael
Once you have sobered up from swallowing an excess of vomit, maybe you can set the record straight on a few things you wrote on your blogs and that Adv Mpshe explicitly denies w.r.t.media speculation in Tuesday’s M&G -
‘Although I can understand that the matter at hand is an issue which is of great public importance, I wish to say that much of the speculation verged on the irresponsible and has had the effect of placing the NPA under a great deal of pressure. Much of the speculation was based on information that it is patently wrong, and it continued to be reported even when explicitly denied by the NPA. It is also worrying that the views of so-called “sources” are given great prominence even when it is clear that they do not have access to the correct information.
For the record, I wish to state that the NPA was not presented with any further evidence or information about the arms deal or the involvement of others in it.’
Who do we believe? Did your source lie to you? And if so why? If not, that might explain your anger and three ‘hellfire and brimstone’ blogs in a row.
Siphiwo
Judge Nicholson did a judgement that was wrong on purpose, which he knew would be reversed on appeal.
The possibility exists, however remote, that Mpshe has done the same thing. Zille is likely to win her case for judicial review.
And THAT might be why Traps is in such a rage.
Madoda
Msimang was a coward. He struck the case off the roll to get himself off the hook from having to sit in the hot seat and hear a Zuma trial.
In my experience is is not cowardice but manifest incompetency (it comes to the fore by arrogance) that prevails throughout the judicial system (not to speak of government!).
Traps,
One cannot rationally separate the party “philosophy” from the incumbent individuals who are supposed to implement it.
If they are simply doing their own thing without regard to the ‘philosophy’, then such philosophy counts for naught.
A vote for such a party endorses the actions of these individuals.
That is the reality, as we live with the consequences of their actions, not their rhetoric or the ‘philosophy’ they are supposed to represent.
Traps…. i share your concerns. In my opinion if there was a conspiracy against zuma, that should be investigated. However if the charges against zumu are credible they should not have been dropped. Zuma supporters are being a bit short sighted here. Yes Zuma is off the hook but what are the long term implications of this decision. Does this mean that any politician who is accused of theft can claim conspiracy and expect to have charges dropped? Blind loyalty and tribalism never built any nation in history.
Having received so much money from Shaik, who in turn took it from arms dealers, Mr. Zuma can now presumably continue to receive these gratuities with impunity. Poor old Shabir will probably have to make some very large catch-up payments if he wants to get in on the next big deal.
Mpeshe has secured his position for the forseeable future according to Gwede.
Ngcuka and McArthy probably won’t be charged because the intention is for this whole matter to go away, not to keep dragging it out.
Aircraft carrier anyone?
Hi Traps
Would you be so kind as to elnlighten on the qoute below ie when was this the great profession. Was it during the “good ol’ days of apartheid”.
“Gentlemen of what was once the great South African legal profession and ancillary fields between you, you are not worth a bucket of puke”.
Please please please if you are angry about the NPA’S decision get a punching bag and do your thing but stop throwing tantrums like a spoilt little rich boy.
I personally sympathise with every one who either feels angry, sad, frustrated, and bitter or feels betrayed or their predictions went against their expectations. Whether you call it a political solutions or a legal decision…the truth is this whole matter will have to be laid to rest and the sooner we deal with that the better.
The reality of the matter is charges against JZ have been dropped by the National Prosecution Authority and I could not have asked for more. I am glad that some people saw it coming and were not caught by surprise like the so called oppositions…
So Traps where to from now? Are you going to support the decision taken by the NPA or follow those who now questioning the sources of the tapes used by the NPA? I will tell you what maybe we should start preparing to welcome JZ as the fourth democratic president of South Africa. (Mandela, Mbeki, Mothlante…ZUMA)
I truly love South Africa because it exposes how true democracy is, it says to people democracy should not be looked at from one perspective but in many.
I wish people would look at the processes as outlined by the NPA boss in reaching the decision to drop the charges against JZ it was not as easy as we perceive it and maybe they will move on from there on .How about that Traps?
The world has seen the dawn of a brand new South Africa. Zuma and his thugs will create a brand new national identity that is more consistent with a Communist Banana Republic. Does this mean that in the 2010 World Cup we will be represented by a new team known as the Banana Banana while our new president leads the nation in his machine gun song and dance?
Scary stuff happening here but not new. All over the world, politicians are corrupt and utilise their powers for their own good. We’ve just joined the rest, maybe with less subtlety but joined nonetheless.
As a South African, I’m just bitterly disappointed
Look, all this goes back a long way. It is not incompetence; the whole ruling class has been positioning things this way to ensure that Zuma would get off the hook and that the people who tried to prevent Zuma from becoming President would be severely punished. This is what rich South Africans want — to destroy the integrity in the system so that it is easily controlled by those with money.
Don’t imagine that another government will behave differently, any more than replacing a different puppet on the same strings will dance differently when the strings are pulled.
How difficult is it to make your point without insulting others? I find this very disturbing, especially coming from people who are supposed to be educated.
@ ALL THOSE WHO COMMENTED ABOVE:
Read Lyndall again. She is right on the money.
1) “When a process is flawed (like evidence found without a warrant) – then that evidence can not be used, but the whole case is not dropped eg the O J Simpson trial.
The ONLY tainted evidence here are the tapes – and they are being used to free Zuma not to jail him!
2) The conspiracy is by the Zuma supporters bugging them (who were the NIA and the police). The very fact that Ncguka and McC used their own phones shows they were not spies.
3) They had evidence of crimes committed by Zuma. All they are discussing was whether to charge him before or after Polokwane. Discussing this with their former boss and mentor is not a crime. They were not telling him any secrets were they? They all knew what crimes Zuma had committed.
They made the right decision. Charging Zuma before Polokwane would have been worse – for Zuma!
4) And if the NIA and the police were bugging Ncguka and that is all they got – they are clean! It is the NIA and the police that are dirty.
5) And since there only appear to be one set of spies – spying for Zuma, then they were the most likley to have faked the Browse Mole as well, to discredit the Scorpions and to protect Zuma and Selebi.
This last point is crucial to understanding the conspiracy scenario.
Well said, Lyndall.
Thank you. Again.
Marvin
Tito is responsible for keeping the rand as steady as possible.
If you want to see what Trevor and the ANC are up to – keep your eye on the balance of payments.
I have another take on this.
Let us admit that there is a conspiracy. So what, if there was what does that prove? That Zuma has been made the “scapegoat” for the ANC skulduggery.
The real questions are,
Has the evidence been obtained within the ambit of ther law?
Is the evidence of such a nature as to warrent prosecution.
In any event it now appears that Hofmeyer and his team lied when they stated publically that Mc Carthy and Ngcuka made no representation.
lyndall
you are so good in nickpicking.i give you an a+ for that…the manner you select your analysts, the sources you use in gathering your information & your general slant arguments are all praiseworthy…you’re more like hellen zille.
i’ve always read your comments, you seemed to only do research on what would satify your innerself, then you come & present it to us as if its the only way to go…why your arguments are always anti-sacp, anti zuma, anti-mugabe, & anti-mbeki?
why you’ve never found something odd about zille’s selective activism?
by the way, if you read all my comments….you can see that nothing has been researched, they’re my plain feelings/reactions on what is being presented before us. i’m biased when it comes to anc.
otherwise if i were to do some groundwork reaseach on each subject, i bet you’d be bored reading it, because it would only present the good side of anc, nothing else.
thats what you’re doing, only presenting the bad side of anc (just like zille).
Siphiwo
I am anti racism (and always have been ) and anti corruption. I also am anti plain stupidity and waste of money.
The ANC is guilty of all 4.
@Siphiwo
you are so good in nickpicking.i give you an a+ for that…the manner you select your analysts, the sources you use in gathering your information & your general slant arguments are all praiseworthy…you’re more like Snuki Zikhalala.
i’ve always read your comments, you seemed to only do research on what would satify your innerself, then you come & present it to us as if its the only way to go…why your arguments are always anti-clean government, anti honesty, anti-Mandela, & anti-common sense?
why you’ve never found something odd about Gwede’s selective activism?
Kenneth
It might help to forget the rest of the world and focus on what happens here.
Much of the rest of the world has another party to turn to.
Here the party is coming right back into power.
Lyndall
The market always reacts to bad news (if it perceives something to be bad news). The fact that the rand strengthened straight after the NPA’s decision to drop all charges against Zuma was not necessarily an indication of the market’s approval of the event; it could have been a case of its indifference to it.
Imagine the market’s reaction to news that the Nationalize-Everything-in-the-Country party looked suddenly to be a front runner to win this month’s election. Kaboom rand. And then what difference, would you say, could a Tito Mboweni make?
In any event, Moneyweb, too, seemed a little bemused at the rise of the rand on the back of the NPA’s announcement:
“MONEYWEB: Interesting to see that the rand in fact strengthened after that judgment came out. I guess investors want stability rather than uncertainty?”
http://www.moneyweb.co.za/mw/view/mw/en/page55?oid=284168&sn=Detail
Marvin
Tito manages, as best he can, the value of the rand.
If you want to see the effect Zuma and the ANC are having – watch the balance of payments.
And business factors in corruption in their costs, like any other overhead. It costs them nothing – it costs the people whose representatives are selling them short by asking for bribes instead of taking the best deal.
Corruption did not stop with the arms deal, it started there and went on for 15 years.
Every government contract or tender has a kickback – which is why we have schoolfeeding schemes with no food, and hospitals with no medicines.
Marvin
What they will NOT do is invest in new industries or factories (which would create jobs) while they face communism, expropriation and no protection of property laws. And Alex Hogg said that himself.
Chian will, however, bacause China relies on buying politicians not on the legal system to enforce rights.
Lyndall
You are right, no question.
Lyndal Beddy, Prof. Gutter, Prof. Shirer, Prof. de Vos, Prof. Gutto, Prof. Palmer,Prof. Pityana and the former chancellor of Unisa,all have expressed the same views on the Zuma matter without fail.There’s never been a dissenting view among them when it comes to Zuma. To me this is revealing.