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Alert

Government officials withhold information from media

(MISA/IFEX) - The following is a 22 August 2003 MISA statement, followed by a MISA-South Africa press release about ongoing corruption investigations:

On 18 August 2003, at the opening of the Nthabiseng Thutuzela Care Centre at Baragwanath Hospital in Soweto, South Africa, Justice Minister Penuell Maduna said the South African government would not comment on continuing allegations that Deputy President Jacob Zuma tried to solicit a bribe from a French defence contractor linked to South Africa's multi-billion rand arms deal. Maduna also instructed government agencies and persons involved in the investigation not to comment on the issue.

"With the support of President Thabo Mbeki, we have decided not to comment on this matter. No one must comment. We are not in the business of running investigations through the media," Maduna said. The justice minister was accompanied by Public Prosecutor Bulelani Ngcuka, who is also in charge of the Scorpions Investigative Unit.

Ngcuka told the "Sunday Times" newspaper he had promised President Mbeki that he would not comment on the ongoing investigation. Justice Ministry spokesperson Paul Setsetse told "The Star" newspaper that the government would not be commenting on the issue until the investigations had run their course in order to ensure due process of law.