COSATU+responds+to+Pikoli



=COSATU responds to Pikoli=

On 11 August 2006, the Congress of South African Trade Unions received a letter from Advocate VP Pikoli, National Director of the Public Prosecutions, in response to a memorandum from the KwaZulu Natal province of COSATU on 28 July 2006, which alleged that the NPA is conducting a political campaign against ANC Deputy President Jacob Zuma.

While the memorandum was not submitted by COSATU’s national leadership, it is in line with the Central Committee resolution of August 2005, which identified “a concerted politically inspired campaign aimed at destroying the political career of the Deputy President”.

COSATU has no reason to revise its view that there was indeed active collaboration between the NPA and some in the media, with the view of launching a media trial that would tarnish Jacob Zuma’s image and damage his credibility and standing, as part of a systematic and well orchestrated campaign to end his political career.

This involved ‘off-the-record’ media briefings by Mr Pikoli’s predecessor, Bulelani Nqcuka, his statement that there was ‘a prima facie case’ against Zuma, even though there was not enough evidence to prosecute him, and leaks of information that only NPA investigators or senior government leaders would have had access to. All of this fed into Jacob Zuma’s hysterical trial by the media.

The question that we have asked over and over again is why the NPA sought to systematically leak information and run a media trial instead of pursuing whatever allegations were made in the courts of law, so that Jacob Zuma would be provided an opportunity to answer to the allegations in court.

He is not the only person to be treated in this way by the NPA. A number of ANC leaders have had serious allegations thrown at them and were never given an opportunity to respond to them in court.

It is these things that have led COSATU and many others to come to the conclusion that this must not happen, because the NPA do not understand the foundations of our constitution or the rule of law, but are pursuing political agendas.

It is never possible to produce conclusive proof of a conspiracy, which by its very nature is clandestine. There is however clear evidence that the NPA has behaved improperly and has been motivated by a political agenda to discredit Jacob Zuma, rather than a desire to prosecute a legal case of alleged corruption.

It is still clear that he will not get a fair trial and COSATU stands by the CC resolution, which included the call on the President of South Africa to review the decision to relieve Comrade Zuma of his responsibilities as the Deputy President of South Africa, and for the withdrawal of all the charges against Comrade Zuma.


 * Patrick Craven (National Spokesperson)**
 * Congress of South African Trade Unions**
 * 1-5 Leyds Cnr Biccard Streets**
 * Braamfontein, 2017**


 * P.O.Box 1019**
 * Johannesburg, 2000**
 * SOUTH AFRICA**


 * Tel: +27 11 339-4911/24**
 * Fax: +27 11 339-5080/6940/ 086 603 9667**
 * Cell: 0828217456**
 * E-Mail: patrick@cosatu.org.za**

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