Mbeki, Interpol head under fresh fire in South Africa

Sep 28, 2007, 15:28 GMT

Johannesburg - South African opposition parties Friday called into question the integrity of President Thabo Mbeki following reports he suspended the head of the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) over the latter's bid to arrest the country's top policeman.

South Africa's public radio reported Thursday that Vusi Pikoli's suspension came days after he had obtained a warrant for the arrest of National Police Commissioner Jackie Selebi, who is also head of Interpol.

Several newspapers Friday backed up the report, quoting unnamed 'official sources' as saying that Pikoli's suspension was related to an alleged investigation into Selebi's links to people involved in organized crime.

Selebi last year admitted to a friendship with a man accused of the murder in 2005 of crooked South African mining magnate Brett Kebble but the police commissioner vehemently denied any involvement in criminality.

Mbeki at the time had assured the country he could be trusted to act against Selebi if he found anything untoward in the police commissioner's conduct.

'We are entering a phase in our democracy where the most serious questions, with profound constitutional implications, are being asked about the conduct of the president and the national police commissioner,' the leader of main opposition Democratic Alliance, Helen Zille, said, urging clarification from Mbeki.

Mbeki's 'credibility is under suspicion because it appears as if he has favourites whom he protects,' the right-wing Freedom Front Plus party charged, calling for an independent judicial enquiry into Selebi.

A government statement cited 'an irretrievable breakdown in the working relationship between Pikoli and Justice Minister Brigitte Mabandla' as the reason for Pikoli's suspension Sunday on the eve of Mbeki's departure for the United Nations General Assembly in New York.

The move had immediately sparked media speculation that Pikoli was being sidelined over the NPA's failure to bring fresh corruption charges against former deputy president and ruling African National Congress (ANC) vice-president Jacob Zuma.

Zuma is Mbeki's main challenger for the post of ANC president, to be decided at a party conference in December.

The NPA is investigating Zuma following the conviction in 2005 of his former financial adviser for fraud relating to an state arms deal. That conviction led to Mbeki sacking Zuma as state deputy president, a decision that forged deep divisions in the party.

A first corruption case against Zuma was thrown out of court late last year over delays.