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01 May 2008
By Never Kadungure
South African President Thabo Mbeki’s office and his ruling ANC party have furiously denied reports Mbeki was once jailed in Zimbabwe after being caught peddling weapons.
The UK based The Zimbabwean newspaper published a report claiming Mbeki was, ‘jailed at Khami Prison in 1982 without trial for four months, accused of supplying Zapu with arms, and he knows how evil the man (Robert Mugabe) is and he is scared of him.’
Both Mbeki and the ANC described the allegations as ‘absolute nonsense’. The Zimbabwean edited by exiled journalist Wilf Mbanga had said Ackim Ndlovu (Zipra army commander) and Dumiso Dabengwa (intelligence security chief) confirmed Mbeki was detained for 4 months in Matabeleland along with other ANC members based in Zimbabwe.
South Africa’s Citizen newspaper however quoted Jessie Duarte the ANC spokesperson saying, ‘The story is absolute nonsense. We have no record about that incident.’ Mbeki’s spokesman Monoke Ratshitanga said: “The reports are complete nonsense from the beginning to the end.”
The South African President however remains an unpopular figure in Zimbabwe for constantly avoiding criticism of President Robert Mugabe. In the run up to a SADC emergency summit last month Mbeki courted controversy after saying there was 'no crisis' in Zimbabwe even though clear evidence existed Mugabe was clinging to power via the withholding of presidential election results.
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Nehanda Radio: Zimbabwe's first 24 hour internet radio news channel.