[This fight over Zuma is getting dirtier. Here is the next casualty – Billy Masetlha. But, he is fighting back, and this opens the next can of worms for Mbeki. It looks like a Low Intensity Conflict is slowly building up and brewing within the ANC itself.

Again, I say: The Email “hoax” is itself a hoax. My money is on the fact that the emails were genuine. Jan]

Legal papers would be served on President Thabo Mbeki on Tuesday informing him that Billy Masetlha, the former director general of intelligence, is contesting his sacking, Masetlha’s attorney said.

“The papers were issued on Monday and would like be served on the president in the morning,” said Imran Haffajee.

Mbeki terminated Masetlha’s services on Wednesday of last week. A day later the Inspector General of Intelligence Services (IG), Zolile Ngcakani, implicated Masetlha in the hoax e-mail saga that has rocked the National Intelligence Agency (NIA).

Haffajee said that Masetlha was not fired but that Mbeki amended his “terms of office”.

“It is these terms of office that we would ask the Pretoria High Court to rule on,” Haffajee said.

He said it was only after the court had decided if Mbeki’s action was correct or not that Masetlha would consider his future.

Mbeki had terminated the services of Masetlha last week with immediate effect. Briefing the media at Parliament following Cabinet’s fortnightly meeting at Tuynhuys last Wednesday, Netshitenzhe said this followed Mbeki’s determination that the relationship of trust between himself and Masetlha had irreparably broken down.

During its meeting, Cabinet had been briefed on the investigation by Ngcakani into the authenticity of allegedly intercepted “e-mail communication” among public figures.

“The meeting noted the findings of the IG that these ‘e-mails’ were fabricated mock-ups that were not and could not have been communicated over the world-wide web.

“Overwhelming evidence, supported by independent expert testimony, points to the fact that the ‘e-mails’ and chat-room conversations were patently fraudulent,” Netshitenzhe said.

Cabinet had agreed all relevant administrative, legal and policy issues deriving from the report should be followed up and, where required, Cabinet would be briefed on progress in this regard.

The meeting was also informed that Mbeki had decided to terminate Masetlha’s services with effect from Wednesday March 22.

The IG and Intelligence Services Minister Ronnie Kasrils would brief Parliament’s Joint Standing Committee on Intelligence, the management and personnel of the intelligence agencies, and the media on the details of the findings in due course, Netshitenzhe said.

Kasrils suspended Masetlha and two other senior officials last year, pending a probe into claims of “serious misconduct” allegedly related to the surveillance of politician-turned-businessman Saki Macozoma. — Sapa

Source: Daily Mail & Guardian
URL: http://www.mg.co.za/articlePage.aspx?articlei…/p>