By Eleanor Momberg
The rumour mill sprang into full operation this week as speculation abounded about whether Mpumalanga Premier David Mabuza's farm near Barberton had been raided by police, and whether he had been taken in for questioning.
The raid was alleged to have been linked to the police investigation of alleged political assassinations in the province.
A self-confessed hitman, known only as "Josh", had claimed that an influential ANC leader in the province had offered him R100 000 and a government job if he poisoned government officials blocking access to tenders linked to the World Cup.
According to reports, the assassin said he had pulled out of the job after a disagreement with his client over the payment of an advance fee.
In the past two years eight officials have either died under suspicious circumstances or been murdered. Their names had apparently appeared on a hitlist.
"Josh" had reportedly admitted in an affidavit before a judge that he was "responsible for the 2009 murder of Mbombela council speaker Jimmy Mohlala".
The ANC had also allegedly earlier admitted knowing about the hitlist, saying it had sent officials to the province to investigate.
It has been alleged that ANC officials Themba Monareng, Mthandazo Ngobeni, Vusi Sibiya, Lucas Shongwe and ANC member Michael Sifunda were poisoned.
This week Cosatu charged that the murder on Wednesday of Bomber Ntshangase, who had served on the SACP in Mpumalanga's provincial executive committee, was linked to the hitlist.
"It seems that he is yet another victim of the 'tenderpreneurs' in the province who have been assassinating anyone who stands in the way of their greed to accumulate wealth.
"This makes us all the more determined to wage war on corruption and save our movement from this alien culture," Cosatu spokesman Patrick Craven said.
Former ANC Youth League leader and now a senior Cope member, James Nkambule, was arrested in March in connection with the statement made by "Josh", and later released on R8 000 bail by the Nelspruit Magistrate's Court. He is facing a charge of defeating the ends of justice.
Nkambule, who had made headlines several years ago when he alleged that there was a plot by former Mpumalanga premier and current ANC treasurer-general Mathews Phosa, current Housing Minister Tokyo Sexwale and former ANC secretary-general Cyril Ramaphosa to oust former president Thabo Mbeki, also claimed earlier this year that Mabuza had contributed R400 000 to President Jacob Zuma's wedding to his second wife, Nompumelelo Ntuli.
He had earlier said he knew who was behind at least one of the killings, that some of the murders were planned at a farm owned by an ANC politician outside Nelspruit and that he had given information to crime intelligence officials.
He was taken in for questioning soon after.
This week police, the Hawks and government officials vehemently denied that Mabuza had been arrested, and that weapons, cash and computers had been confiscated during a raid on his farm on Monday morning.
Claims that Mabuza had been contacted by National Police Commissioner General Bheki Cele and asked to step down as potentially damning information that would harm the ANC had surfaced against him were also strongly denied by Mabuza's spokesman, Mabutho Sithole.
"As far as I know there was never any interaction between the premier and General Cele," he said.
According to an SMS circulated this week, police had confiscated R45-million in cash, eight state-issued R5 rifles and ammunition, two AK-47 assault rifles, four unlicensed pistols, passports, IDs and other documents, as well as a laptop containing details about all projects in Mpumalanga, including instructions to heads of department about who may be awarded tenders.
Claims that could not be officially confirmed included that a warrant of arrest was issued for Mabuza by a Nelspruit magistrate last week; that police had arrived at the provincial legislature on April 30 to arrest Mabuza, but had left without doing so; that the premier was taken in for questioning that lasted more than two hours, after Monday's raid; and that he was to be arrested in coming days.
The rumours have seen Mpumalanga police commissioner Lieutenant General Thulani Ntobela issue a statement on Thursday to "set the record straight".
Ntobela responded to the claims, saying: "We did not raid the premier's house as it is alleged. We did not take the premier in for questioning."
The police did not have any knowledge of the allegations contained in the SMS "bearing serious damning allegations" against Mabuza, he added.
"The person who is behind all this (is) hereby warned not (to) use the police for his or her unknown benefit. We are sending a strong warning to such a person to stop accusing the premier and using the name of the police to further his/her interests. This is uncalled for and it should stop with immediate effect," said Ntobela.
Hawks spokesman Musa Zondi said the raid "did not take place" and Mabuza was "never called in" for questioning. "It simply did not happen," he said.
The "confession" by "Josh" was being followed up by the Hawks, said Zondi.
ANC officials in Mpumalanga laughed when approached for comment, saying the claims of a raid and the arrest of the premier were "ridiculous".
DA leader in Mpumalanga Anthony Benade said he had also heard several rumours, but could confirm nothing as it was "difficult to get information".
He added that if there was any evidence that the premier was involved in wrongdoing he would surely have been formally arrested and taken to court.
"I certainly hope there is not some kind of cover-up that is preventing anyone from taking action against the premier, if he has a case to answer to, because the police or other investigators believe he is too powerful," he said.
Sithole described the rumours as ludicrous, saying there was "never any raid whatsoever". "Common sense tells me that if there was a raid and you arrest a person you have to request a warrant. There was no such thing. The police would not deny a raid if they did raid a person," he said. "We don't know where all this comes from, but it is from someone who is hell-bent on defaming the premier, the province and its people. It is very sad."
Sithole, referring to previous claims that R14m had been stolen from the premier's farm and the latest claim that R45m in cash was confiscated from the property during this week's alleged raid, stated that the premier would never keep that amount of money in his home.
He also questioned what Mabuza would want to do with an AK-47, emphasising that a police raid was something that could not be hidden from the public.
The person or persons who had started rumours appeared to have a political motive, he said.
"It is so unfortunate. We are hoping that the police will investigate where these rumours come from," he added. Asked how the premier was handling reports of his arrest and the raid, he said Mabuza had initially brushed them off.
But he had taken the matter more seriously when they persisted. This had necessitated him going on local radio to dispel the rumours.
Referring to allegations of Mabuza's involvement in the alleged assassinations, Sithole said once the truth emerged, "the people... will be surprised one day when they find out who is behind this thing".