Love SMS probe still on?

2006-09-15 15:22

Cape Town - An impenetrable fog appears to have descended on an investigation launched in early July into the leaking of Western Cape community safety MEC Leonard Ramatlakane's love SMSes.

The probe was ordered by premier Ebrahim Rasool after a Cape Town tabloid published intimate messages between Ramatlakane, who is married, and an SABC journalist with whom he was allegedly having an affair.

Rasool said at the time that these "breaches of provincial government security" broke the law that protected government and society from illegal surveillance.

"The provincial government views this in a very serious light and I have asked for a full investigation," he said. "The law must then take its course on completion of the investigation."

However, more than two months later, Sapa has not been able to establish whether the probe has been completed, and if so, what the results are.

'Not going to comment'

Ramatlakane's spokesperson Makhaya Mani referred queries on the matter to the premier's office.

The premier's spokesperson Shado Twala was unable over a period of three weeks to come up with a response, even though she said on Thursday evening she was "in a queue" outside the premier's office, waiting to speak to him on the issue.

Western Cape police spokesperson Superintendent Billy Jones said the SA Police Service in the province "never communicated about any investigation relating to the matter mentioned in your enquiry".

"Therefore we are not going comment on the matter.

"The announcement was made by the premier and it would only be advisable to contact the premier's office for comment on the matter," he said.

National Intelligence Agency spokesperson Lorna Daniels said: "It is our policy not to publicise investigations. The outcome of any investigation is liaised directly with the relevant clients, and on this matter we have no comment."

- SAPA