The arms deal corruption issue

[insulin]

Hallo Dave, I hope that someone can say anything because I have feeling that we can expect masses in support of the outcome and those who dare say anything else may end up hurt.

I mean JZ has proven on countless occasions that he will amass masses to stand for his beliefs. His mentality can easily be mob driven and voices will be silenced because of this. Perhaps I am seeing things in a completely wrong way but again perhaps not?

Do you belief that the Court of Public Opinion will be the stage of true blind justice or just another exercise in mob based politics or is there something else I am missing?

[Dave A]

Here's a thought.

Whatever is wrong/went wrong in the NPA - it happened on the ANC's watch

[insulin]

Yes it did... The question however is why? And more importantly why now?

[Dave A]

Well, Mac Maharaj has expressed his views.

Former ANC heavyweight Mac Maharaj has pointed a finger at former president Thabo Mbeki's "rotten administration".

Maharaj is himself the subject of an ongoing seven-year investigation by the NPA.

Yesterday he lamented the targeting of certain people to settle political scores.

In an interview on Tuesday Maharaj - a former transport minister - said Monday's revelations pointed to the "real rot" of former president Thabo Mbeki's administration. "That is now being exposed. The abuse by institutions of the state under the shell of democracy in order to perpetuate power in the hands of a clique and to create an order determined by the so-called kingmakers: a group of people who jointly or severally acted in a way, so that they would clandestinely wield power and keep power in the hands of a group," said Maharaj.
full story from IOL here

Problem is JZ and co. have inherited the same machinery and perhaps even the same style.

How long did they have the evidence they gave to the NPA?
Was there any deliberate timing in their release?
Was Pikoli fired to ensure a more favourable NPA position on the Zuma prosecution?

[insulin]

Now we are getting close to the real truth. I promise you that the so called evidence that was given to the NPA is not that old. Secondly timing is everything individuals got fired and it is election year. Now JZ is a victim of corruption imagine that! He now has a sympathetic ear to sing to... He made it clear in his statement. Now the question is who can possibly benefit from JZ innocence? Then the water becomes murky again... Because who is this international support that he refer to in his speech?

[Dave A]

Probably no surprise in this, but Ngcuka denies the conspiracy claims.

Imagine the shyte if it emerges that the evidence of a conspiracy was manipulated or contrived?
Surely not - no-one could be that dumb.
Surely

[insulin]

I will not cross over to the conspiracy world yet. But it is getting close to cross that line. First let us focus on who will benefit from JZ’s exoneration. In the world of politics nothing is free so the answer we are looking for may only appear if JZ becomes President. Then his elected parliament will slowly give us a clue as to who will benefit. Follow the new international alliance groups that will from. See the NPA failed for a reason. Was that reason based on mistakes or did something go wrong. Then one must look at the NPA as an organization. Who is calling the shots? Who can pressure the NPA? Now these questions become more interesting does it not?

[insulin]

Also something else came to mind when I drank my coffee. Public opinion may change if given the right spin to JZ’s case... JZ the victim of the elite... JZ innocence is a powerful political tool. See his innocence shows a level of incompetence within the NPA and associated groups. Now JZ may not be a strong leader but his story is sympathetic and that alone can change the outcome of an election. So I cannot help but wonder if all of this wasn’t just mirrors and smoke to twist the public to stand with JZ... Is this at all possible?

[Marq]

A Fall out among thieves and a trail of looted treasure
What joy as we find our leaders point of measure
A conspiracy...they all cried out in surprise.
Who is spreading these vicious lies

Tis only I said the common man
The One who is paying for your contraband
Begone said the leaders we have lots here to do
Like coverups and paperwork to flush down the loo

Another arms deal lies in the dust
With billions extracted they gorge in the lust
And kill and maim in other parts of the world
Creating diversion while they work to have you foiled

And so you trudge off to work again
Trapped by their greed and need to flame
A lie of immense proportion and gain
Keeping you busy with woe and self pain

From the writings of Kram Thism (2009)

[Marq]

In what could turn out to be the greatest fraud in US history, American authorities have started to investigate the alleged role of senior military officers in the misuse of $125bn (£88bn) in a US -directed effort to reconstruct Iraq after the fall of Saddam Hussein. The exact sum missing may never be clear, but a report by the US Special Inspector General for Iraq Reconstruction (SIGIR) suggests it may exceed $50bn, making it an even bigger theft than Bernard Madoff's notorious Ponzi scheme.

Not to be outdone by the South African leaders, the Americans have a their own soapie arms deal going.......here