Phosa wants probe into Mabuza ‘spy report’
Yesterday, Phosa told The Citizen that despite the finding that he had nothing to do with the 'Spy Report', an investigation into the dossier was still necessary.
Former ANC treasurer-general Mathews Phosa.
Former ANC treasurer-general and ex-Mpumalanga premier Mathews Phosa is pushing for an investigation into the “Spy Report” of 2014 as he believes it could reveal how some senior party members participated in state-initiated spy syndicates against anti-apartheid activists during the struggle.
The report, which was delivered anonymously to Phosa’s farm residence in Mpumalanga in 2014, claimed that David Mabuza, who is now Mpumalanga premier, had been an apartheid spy.
The High Court in Pretoria was told that Phosa forwarded the report to ANC deputy secretary-general Jessie Duarte, who apparently asked Phosa who Mabuza really was.
“DD” Mabuza accused Phosa of being the author of the document and tried to sue him for R10 million for defamation. But the high court found no evidence to support his allegations. Now Mabuza has to pay Phosa’s legal costs of close to R3 million, including the fee for hiring a senior counsel.
Yesterday, Phosa told The Citizen that despite the finding that he had nothing to do with the “Spy Report” an investigation into the dossier was still necessary.
“The report is crying out for investigation. The case in court was not about the ‘Spy Report’, it was about the allegations that Mabuza and one [Jan] Venter made that I wrote the report, for which they sued me for R10 million. We need to know is this ‘DD’ who was involved in the killing of our people named in the report,” Phosa said.
He added that although the court ruled that Mabuza had defamed him and should pay his legal costs, he wouldn’t sue him or Venter.
“They didn’t know what they were doing,” Phosa added.
Reacting recently to the court ruling, Mabuza said the decision vindicated his view that the contents of the spy dossier were not only false but were a “failed political smear campaign”.
He said he was happy with the court proceedings in which he said Phosa claimed he was not the author of it and did not know who was.
“The so-called spy dossier has no owner or author and remains just a smear campaign document produced by faceless authors for their narrow smear campaign agendas.
“The premier believes in constitutional democracy and respects all court decisions. However, he will be guided by his legal team on a way forward,” a statement from his office said.
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