SA govt: No comment on WikiLeaks

2010-11-29 13:01

Cape Town - The South African government on Monday refused to comment on the publication of documents by whistleblower website WikiLeaks.

The website leaked hundreds of thousands of US embassy cables - with the first batch of it published on Sunday by global media.

In it, it was revealed that International Relations and Co-operations Minister Maite Nkoane-Mashabane referred to Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe as a “crazy old man”.

When contacted by News24 for comment, international relations spokesperson Saul Molobi said: “It is the policy of this government not to comment on leaks.”

Government spokesperson Vusi Mona was unavailable for comment.

Meanwhile, EWN reported on Monday that some of the other secret US files due to be published might contain strong criticism of Nelson Mandela.

The documents will apparently show that Mandela suggested that former US president George W Bush had ignored calls by the United Nations for restraint on the Iraq war because the former UN secretary general, Kofi Annan, was black.

The files will also show that Mandela referred to ex-British prime minister Tony Blair as the US’s foreign minister because he supported the war on Iraq.

Wikileaks has already revealed that Winnie Madikizela-Mandela helped US officials gain access to her then husband before the 1994 elections.

The ANC said through its spokesperson, Ishmael Mnisi, that “it has no feelings” regarding the leaks. 
 

- News24