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Mandla Khoza/AENS
Sunday Times journalist Mzilikazi wa Afrika.
The Hawks intercepted phone conversations of Sunday Times journalist Mzilikazi Wa Afrika, the inspector-general of intelligence has confirmed.
The reporter was arrested in August last year, days after the newspaper published articles about the multibillion-rand police headquarters scandal.
Investigations have since found there was questionable conduct by Public Works Minister Gwen Mahlangu-Nkabinde and national police commissioner General Bheki Cele in concluding the leases.
Public Protector Thuli Madonsela found Cele’s role amounted to “unlawful” conduct and “maladministration”.
At the time of Wa Afrika’s arrest, police said they were investigating allegations that he was in possession of a “fake” resignation letter by Mpumalanga Premier David Mabuza.
Wa Afrika was later released without charges being brought and he has since filed a wrongful arrest suit against the state, a move police have said they will oppose.
Cele was recently asked to provide President Jacob Zuma with reasons why he should not be suspended pending a board of inquiry into his fitness for office.
“I’m going to be here until my job is done,” Cele said. “There is work to be done and I am doing it. Let me repeat myself, I’m going to be here until my work is done. I’m not thinking so, I’m telling you so.”
In response to inquiries by the Sunday Times, the Inspector-General of Intelligence, Faith Radebe, confirmed that Wa Afrika’s phones had been tapped as part of a “lawful investigative method”.
Radebe was asked to investigate harassment and intimidation, including alleged death threats, of Sunday Times journalists, notably Wa Afrika and investigative journalist Stephan Hofstatter.
This followed tip-offs from sources in the police and intelligence environment that the journalists’ movements and calls were being “monitored”.
Sunday Times editor Ray Hartley has described the interceptions as “appalling”.
“It is abundantly clear that the criminal justice system has been abused to harass and intimidate (Wa Afrika). The judge who authorised this ‘surveillance’ and the police officers who requested it should hang their heads in shame. They are complicit in an assault on our constitutional values.”
It is unclear how Wa Afrika’s alleged possession of a “fake” resignation letter by a politician would meet Rica requirements that the police apply for interception orders only in cases involving “serious offences” and only after all other investigative methods had failed to produce results. - Political Bureau
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Anonymous, wrote
i would like to say this it about love and respect if you don't get any, you would be where malema is today. about respsct you are taught and you must deliver and love you get from family or when you grow up you dont seek it elsewhere just like malema. education too plays a big role. NEXT TIME ANCY MEMBERS need to choose a brilliant person not big mouth leaders. an empty tin makes lot of noise.
A wachful eye, wrote
Don't do the crime if you don't want to pay the time!!!!! Do not confuse a phone tap with Apartheid government. They are vastly different. To lump the two together is just a way to label a useful tool as something against the people it is set up to protect. Phone taps do work and are much more helpful to protect both the innocent and the masses.
ceebee, wrote
The evidence was obtained illegally! Phone tapping! Now where have I heard that one before? Oh yes! Zuma783 used that and got off.
Anonymous, wrote
We are all monitored, one way or the other... if you do not do crimedirty tricks - you should not be worried. The apartheid security agencies didn't need a judge's approval to monitor their targets, they were the law unto themselves.... at least we have been warned by this government and we have asked to RICA our phones so that we can be monitored.....
Secure my Country, wrote
Listen here you guys who are always critiscising, if you have done nothing wrong, then you have nothing to worry about. You must remember that most countries worldwide intercept calls and deploy many other security techniques, back here in SA we are no different, so stop griping and geta life for yourselves.
TOKYO3991, wrote
The security agencies in our country are lawless, hypocrital thugs. The judge who authorised the interception order either did so due to misleading information or he is sympathetic to the government. Either way he should be investigated by the JSC and impeached if necessary. Shameless bunch of hoodlums operating under the the cloak of "law and order" to suit their own political agenda(s).
Anonymous, wrote
badballie, wrote
And did anyone really believe that government respects their right or cares what the man on the street thinks, Illegal interception of phone-calls, messages etc happen on a daily basis, as a matter of national security(sic) The rights of the ordinary man are trampled on on a daily basis nationally. RICA's only purpose was to comply with the American requirements, and our government does not have any say or control over the US's use of the system for their own goals.
LK, wrote
Anonymous, wrote
Why do you all think RICA was introduced? There's no such thing as freedom. Only in our minds are we free.
Malose, wrote
This clearly tells that our state is ran by people who are there to serve their stamach and thier big ego congrats Cele , our journos will be harrased for alerting the public about goverment's incompetence , this is the another version of apartheid against the entire people of SA.
Bonzo, wrote
Our authorities will abuse every means in order to silence whistle-blowers and reporters who expose corruption. SA is in serious trouble.
mfundo, wrote
this is a blatant insult to our Constitution. Writers should be free to write converse without fear, fear of being intercepted. This clearly stand against the right to freedon of speech. This is an indirect method of silencing or rather gagging our writers in future.
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