{"id":14542,"date":"2011-12-15T19:19:08","date_gmt":"2011-12-15T19:19:08","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.ghanamma.net\/2011\/12\/zumas-corruption-chief-resigns\/"},"modified":"2011-12-15T19:19:08","modified_gmt":"2011-12-15T19:19:08","slug":"zumas-corruption-chief-resigns","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.ghanamma.com\/2011\/12\/15\/zumas-corruption-chief-resigns\/","title":{"rendered":"Zuma’s corruption chief resigns"},"content":{"rendered":"

15 December 2011<\/span> Last updated at<\/span> 19:19 GMT<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

\"JacobSeveral key appointments made by Jacob Zuma have not worked out<\/span><\/div>\n

South African President Jacob Zuma’s anti-corruption investigator has resigned after becoming embroiled in a row about ex-President Thabo Mbeki.<\/p>\n

Willem Heath has quit because his position has become “untenable”, Justice Minister Jeff Radebe said.<\/p>\n

Mr Heath had accused Mr Mbeki of initiating rape and corruption charges against Mr Zuma while he was president.<\/p>\n

Mr Zuma was elected president in 2009 following a bitter power struggle with Mr Mbeki.<\/p>\n

A court acquitted Mr Zuma of raping a female friend, while corruption charges related to a controversial multi-billion dollar arms deal were dropped shortly before the elections.<\/p>\n

Mr Zuma appointed Mr Heath only last month to head the anti-corruption Special Investigating Unit.<\/p>\n

‘Libellous’<\/span><\/p>\n

In an interview with South Africa’s City Press newspaper earlier this month, Mr Heath said that Mr Mbeki had allegedly initiated the investigations against Mr Zuma.<\/p>\n

He also claimed that Mr Mbeki had abused his position to compromise the criminal justice system by blocking some investigations into corrupt practices, City Press reported.<\/p>\n

Mr Mbeki’s spokesperson Mukhoni Ratshitanga said the allegations were libellous and malicious, and a letter had been sent to Mr Zuma’s office to seek clarity about Mr Heath’s comments.<\/p>\n

Mr Radebe said he had discussed the controversy with Mr Heath at Mr Zuma’s request, and he had agreed to resign.<\/p>\n

“The manner in which events unfolded following his appointment, created a perception, rightly or wrongly, that he would not be in a position to execute his duties in an independent manner as expected or required of an incumbent holding that position,” Mr Radebe said.<\/p>\n

Mr Heath’s forced resignation will further damage Mr Zuma’s credibility, analysts say.<\/p>\n

On 1 December, a court invalidated his appointment of former justice department official Menzi Simelane as chief prosecutor – another key post in the fight against corruption and crime.<\/p>\n

The court said there were unresolved questions about Mr Simelane’s integrity, as he had once given “untruthful” evidence.<\/p>\n

Analysts say there is growing concern that corruption and crime are becoming endemic in South Africa and recent measures by Mr Zuma – including the dismissal of government ministers and the appointment of a commission of inquiry into the controversial 1999 $5bn (\u00a33.2bn) arms deal – has not dispelled perceptions that he is soft on corruption.<\/p>\n

Mr Zuma’s financial adviser, Schabir Shaik, was convicted of taking bribes from a French arms company in 2005.<\/p>\n

The National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) dropped similar charges against Mr Zuma in 2009, citing political interference in the case.<\/p>\n

Earlier, he was acquitted of raping a female friend.<\/p>\n

Mr Zuma said he had been a victim of a “political conspiracy”.<\/p><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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