Johannesburg - South African President Thabo Mbeki came
under mounting pressure over the weekend to explain his suspension of
the country's top prosecutor, a controversial move weeks before a
crunch vote on his leadership of the ruling African National Congress
(ANC).
'Tell us the truth, Mr President,' the best-selling Sunday Times
newspaper implored in a front-page headline, as opposition leaders
accused Mbeki of 'misleading the nation.'
South Africa has been thrown into a political crisis after it
emerged that Mbeki suspended National Prosecuting Authority (NPA)
chief Vusi Pikoli days after the NPA obtained arrest and search
warrants for national police commissioner Jackie Selebi.
The revelations appeared to discredit the presidency's initial
explanation that Pikoli was suspended because of 'an irretrievable
breakdown' in his working relationship with Justice Minister Brigitte
Mabandla.
The affair has also raised questions about Mbeki's relationship
with the country's top cop - Selebi is also the head of Interpol -
who has been accused of being cosy with criminals.
The NPA on Friday confirmed that it had obtained two warrants
against Selebi prior to Pikoli's suspension on September 23.
It also revealed that Mokotedi Mpshe, the acting head of the NPA,
had cancelled the warrant for Selebi's arrest pending his review of
the case against the police commissioner.
Selebi is being investigated over his alleged links to organized
crime. While admitting to a friendship with a suspect in the 2005
murder of corrupt mining magnate Brett Kebble, Selebi has denied any
involvement in criminality.
Mbeki last year downplayed the allegations against Selebi, saying
he could be trusted to act against the police chief if necessary.
Opposition parties this week heaped scorn on the official version
of Pikoli's suspension.
'The nation has been misled,' said Independent Democrats leader
Patricia de Lille. 'It has all to do with the Selebi affair.'
'The perception that is being created now is that, indeed
there is a friendship that we don't understand between the president
and Selebi,' according to the national chairwoman of the Inkatha
Freedom Party, Zanele Magwaza-Msibi.
'It is quite clear that he (Mbeki) has intervened to stop the
Selebi warrant and that in itself constitutes a crisis,' said the
leader of the main opposition Democratic Alliance, Helen Zille,
urging Mbeki to provide clarification.
In a statement the government 'categorically denied' Mbeki
suspended Pikoli in attempt to protect Selebi and urged South
Africans to await the results of a commission of inquiry into
Pikoli's fitness for office.
An irritated Mbeki himself, when confronted by a television
journalist over the affair, merely pointed out that a president does
'not handle warrants.'
The furore comes ahead of a crunch ANC party conference in
December, at which the party is set to elect a new leader.
Mbeki, who has served two five-year terms as party leader, appears
to be courting a third term over archrival, ANC deputy president
Jacob Zuma.
The NPA is investigating Zuma following the conviction in 2005 of
his former financial adviser for fraud relating to South Africa's
biggest-ever arms acquisition deal. That conviction led to Mbeki
sacking Zuma as state deputy president, a decision that forged deep
divisions in the party.
Analysts have speculated that Pikoli's suspension may also be
related to the NPA's failure to bring fresh corruption charges
against Zuma. A first corruption case against Zuma was thrown out of
court late last year over delays.
© 2007 dpa - Deutsche Presse-Agentur 
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