Whistle-blower’s spat with state delayed
THE demand that corruption whistle-blower Thabiso Zulu first made two years ago for the state to act on its own recommendations and supply him with private bodyguards will now be settled by the North Gauteng High Court.
Zulu’s urgent application brought against Police Minister Bheki Cele, National Police Commissioner Khehla Sitole, Justice Minister Ronald Lamola and President Cyril Ramaphosa opened in the high court in Pretoria yesterday.
However, Judge Jody Kollapen could not hear the merits of the application owing to the unreadiness of Lamola’s advocate to proceed.
Advocate Takalani Masebe, for Lamola, explained that her client’s responding affidavit was not ready to be filed in the court.
She said only a draft was done, and it needed approval of either the minister or his director-general before it could be finalised and filed.
The pair were not available yesterday morning because they were attending to the government’s Covid19 programmes, she said.
Masebe told Judge Kollapen the affidavit could be finalised this morning. Zulu’s lawyers were to receive a draft late yesterday, and the final affidavit this morning.
Advocate Mvuyo Ndziba, representing Zulu, stood ready to argue the merits of the application yesterday. As were advocates MS Phaswane and Sha’ista Kazee for the police and Ramaphosa respectively.
Ndziba agreed to the two-day postponement on grounds that Lamola’s affidavit was filed within the time frame indicated by Masebe.
Judge Kollapen ruled to postpone hearing to Thursday.
Zulu, who was not in court, told The Star the application was intended to compel the state to provide him with private bodyguards.
The SSA and public protector found that Zulu’s life was under imminent threat and that he needed to be urgently provided with protection.
In a report that was prepared to assist the protector’s investigation, the SSA concluded that Zulu needed to be provided with “individual private protection”.
Cele sought a review of the protector’s report. The high court will hear his application in June.
A close friend and ANC ally of slain Umzimkhulu, KZN, councillor and former ANC Youth League secretary-general Sindiso Magaqa‚ Zulu’s life has been under threat for some years now for exposing corruption.
The danger to his life reportedly became heightened after he gave evidence about corruption in Umzimkhulu and the 2017 murder of Magaqa at the Moerane commission of inquiry into the political killings in KwaZulu-Natal.
There was an attempt on his life last October, when he narrowly escaped a gun attack in Copesville, Pietermaritzburg. He was shot once in the arm and suffered a serious wound.
The SA Human Rights Commission was footing Zulu’s legal fees.
“The commission will further provide assistance to Zulu in the (Cele) review application (against the public protector),” said the SAHRC.
|