Blackman Ngoro
President Thabo Mbeki has become the first casualty of the R8-billion to between R55-billion and R65-billion arms deal eventhough Schabir Shaik, Jacob Zuma and Tony Yengeni have faced the wrath of the law and in different ways paid their debt to society.
The accolade should have belonged to Jacob Zuma. But he now seems to be on his way to become South Africa's third post apartheid president.
A German investigation had also taken place in 2006 to look into whether employees of the ThyssenKrupp Group, had broken the law over the sale of four ships to the South African Navy in the late 1990s.
The president of the Independent Democrats Patricia de Lille has colled for an independent commission of inquiry into the arms deal.
This followed Pietermaritzburg High Court that a decision to prosecute African National Congress president Jacob Zuma on corruption and fraud charges related to the arms deal was invalid.
Judge Chris Nicholson told the court that his verdict was not a pronouncement on Zuma's guilt or innocence
In 2006 Cosatu Secretary General Zwelinzima Vavi called for the case against Zuma to be dropped. Vavi suggested that Zuma was a scapegoat. "Some people have been put under the spotlight while the real culprits remain hidden," said the union leader.
According to the Scorpions' then head, Vusi Pikoli, investigators probing the deal had asked to meet Mbeki after questions surfaced about the President having met foreign arms company executives.
This seemingly flew in the face of Mbeki's denials that he had been approached for information by any agency investigating alleged corruption in the multibillion-rand deal.
Pikoli said former Scorpions boss Leonard McCarthy had asked for an audience with Mbeki but was referred to presidency legal adviser, Mojanku Gumbi. 'Members of the DSO (Directorate of Special Operations) have had discussions with her,' Pikoli said.
The NPA previously refused to say whether the Scorpions had questioned Mbeki about the arms deal.
Shady connections between arms deal companies and the late defence minister, Joe Modise, were described in a new book by Andrew Feinstein, a former ANC MP.
Then deputy president Thabo Mbeki's questionable role in selecting BAE and Saab to provide the SA Air Force with fighter and trainer jets are also described
Feinstein, now lives in London after resigning from parliament in 2001.
South African President Thabo Mbeki has said he had a clear conscience about the country's multi-million rand arms deal.
A local Sunday paper has accused Mbeki of taking R30 million from a German shipbuilding company to guarantee it would receive a submarine contract in the arms deal.
The newspaper said in an article, that a secret report compiled in 2007 by a United Kingdom specialist risk company revealed the deal.
Mbeki allegedly gave R2-million of the money to ANC President Jacob Zuma and the rest to the ruling party.
"That story is not true," Mbeki insisted.
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