'Shots fired at me' - Mbeki plot informant
2001-05-02 22:15
Pretoria - James Nkambule, the controversial informer in the "plot" against President Thabo Mbeki, on Tuesday night had to hide in his Barberton home when attackers reportedly opened fire on him and a girlfriend.
A shocked Nkambule on Wednesday said he had no doubts that the attack was connected to his crucial role in revealing the "plot against the president".
Safety and Security Minister Steve Tshwete earlier said the probe into the alleged plot was based on sworn statements made by Nkambule.
National police chief Commander Jackie Selebi earlier admitted that he was "concerned" over Nkambule's safety.
Lowveld area police commissioner for Mpumalanga Commander Frank Sibulela on Wednesday afternoon said he shared the concerns over Nkambule's safety. Sibulela said the police were patrolling the area around Nkambule's house every half-hour.
Shots allegedly fired at his home
Lowveld police spokesperson Captain Harry Shabangu confirmed that Nkambule phoned the police at 00:15 following shots allegedly being fired at his home.
"We dispatched a patrol car, but were unable to trace the attackers."
Shabangu said the police were investigating a case of attempted murder, but were waiting for Nkambule to make a sworn statement.
Nkambule maintained that he and his girlfriend were watching videos shortly after midnight on Tuesday morning when she heard a noise outside.
"I reassured her and said it was probably the wind in the trees, but she insisted that I switch off the television and investigate."
He said he went outside through his bedroom's outside door, but everything was quiet.
"I decided to fire a warning shot in the air, however, that proved to be a mistake since the next moment somebody started firing at me. They fired two shots."
Nkambule fled inside the house and called the police.
Meanwhile he heard a noise in his garage. Nkambule said he was scared the "attackers" were going to set fire to his home.
"While I was standing in the back door talking [on the telephone] to Superintendent John Nkuna of the Nelspruit police, a third shot was fired at me."
Petrol-bomb attack in 1999
Nkambule was the victim of an attack at his Barberton home in March 1999 when a petrol bomb was allegedly thrown at his house and his vehicle was burnt out.
Although Nkambule had broken his ties with then ANC Mpumalanga premier Mathews Phosa shortly before the attack, and he insisted his enemies in the ANC were the guilty parties, the perpetrators were never apprehended.
Nkambule has to face an Mpumalanga ANC Youth League disciplinary hearing within the next 14 days, Youth League provincial secretary Sidney Skosana told Christi van der Westhuizen of Beeld.
Skosana declined to reveal the charges as Nkambule has not yet been informed of them. The charge is related to a contravention of the Youth League constitution in terms of which Nkambule was expelled from the league.
In the meantime it has been confirmed by the chair of the National Assembly's safety and security committee Mluleki George that the committee would interrupt its public hearings on security industry legislation for Tshwete to address it and be questioned by MPs on Thursday over the plot allegations.
Not the first SA 'coup plot'
It is not the first time that a democratically-elected South African head of state has been the target of coup plot claims.
Former SA National Defence Force general Georg Meiring resigned in 1998 after presenting then President Nelson Mandela with a controversial military intelligence report about a left-wing coup plot to overthrow the government.
The government dismissed the allegations as inaccurate and far-fetched, and appointed a commission of inquiry to probe the circumstances surrounding the report.
Meiring later insisted he had done the correct thing by presenting the uncorroborated report.
"I spoke about the report in detail with the president. I acknowledged that the report was uncorroborated as it came from a single source, and that source was in jail," he said at the time.
'Unfolding political tragedy'
Democratic Alliance deputy leader Marthinus van Schalkwyk on Wednesday said the so-called plot had all the characteristics of an unfolding political tragedy.
Tshwete had proved that he did not have the good judgment to be trusted with power in a key government position, he said during a visit to Swellendam.
"He showed all the characteristics of someone who would sacrifice democratic principles and good government for internal party-political power struggles."
Van Schalkwyk said it was logical to assume that Mbeki was fully informed before Tshwete's allegations, and that they met with his approval.
Mbeki's lack of action after Tshwete's announcement and allegations strengthened this impression.
"If this is the case, this whole saga is not really about Minister Tshwete, but actually about Mr Mbeki ... Mr Mbeki must stop hiding from the media and the public.
"He owes the country an honest and direct answer. If Mr Mbeki fails to do this, or took part in improper actions, he will have great difficulty to recover politically," he said. - Beeld/Sapa