Zuma lodges complaint over leaked recording

CAPE TOWN. — President Jacob Zuma’s office has lodged a complaint with the Public Protector’s office over leaked audio recordings of his interview with Thuli Madonsela. This comes after the audio recording of Zuma and Madonsela’s interview on state capture was made public. Madonsela’s report was released after a court order, and the recordings were apparently leaked to eNCA.“The Presidency has sought clarity from the Office of the Public Protector on the policy of the institution regarding the release of audio recordings of interviews conducted during the course of investigations,” spokesperson Bongani Ngqulunga said.

Meanwhile, a letter from former president Thabo Mbeki to President Jacob Zuma was intended for the ANC’s leadership only, and not for the general public. The Thabo Mbeki Foundation yesterday said it did not leak the letter to the media last week. Mbeki wrote to Zuma, imploring him to have talks with the 101 ANC veterans who had publicly expressed concerns about his leadership.

In a statement, Mbeki said the letter was hand delivered to ANC Secretary General Gwede Mantashe at Luthuli House, and he insists the concerns he raised were never meant for public consumption.

“Regrettably, the letter was subsequently leaked to the media by persons we do not know, which then published it during the morning of November 3. This suggests that the print media would have been in the possession of the letter by November 2.”

The letter was also widely circulated on November 3 through the social media. The foundation published the letter on its website following the leak.

“The letter was intended for President Zuma and the leadership of the ANC, not for public distribution. If it had been intended for such distribution as an ‘open letter’, there would have been no need to ensure its secure delivery directly to the ANC SG at Luthuli House.”

The foundation said it believed the issues raised in the letter had wider national implications.

“President Zuma and the ANC leadership should focus on the contents of the letter with the requisite seriousness,” the foundation said.

Over the weekend President Zuma told crowds in eDumbe in KwaZulu-Natal that he hadn’t received the letter, yet it’s already being analysed by others. — News24/HR.