CORRUPTION - "Business Times" on April 30 reported that an insolvency practitioner Oliver Powell interdicted the Office of Serious Economic Offences from discussing its investigations into alleged corruption in the Master's Office. Powell, currently involved in legal action to suppress a media report, sought two interdict last year against "Business Times" in connection with an investigation into his relationship with the Master's Office. According to "Business Times", included in the court papers was an affidavit from a Warmbaths farmer, Paul van Vuuren, whose interview with "Business Times" last year formed the basis of the article subsequently gagged by Powell. The investigating directorate of OSEO, at the behest of the Department of Justice, launched an investigation late last year into allegations of corruption and bribery involving a number of Master's Office officials. The Master's Office, which is an organ of the Department of Justice, has unfettered discretion in awarding lucrative liquidation appointments to insolvency practitioner. According to the paper, it was this discretion that a number of insolvency practitioners, bank and other creditors such as the Industrial Development Corporation and Credit Guarantee, have alleged gave rise to corruption and to bribes for officials awarding liquidations. Head of investigating directorate Jan Swanepoel, indicated that Powell's interdict "would not stop the investigation". Powell's application against OSEO challenged the lawfulness of the search an seizure of documents at his home during the dawn raid in October last year, and the provision of certain documents to "Business Times".

DEFAMATION - "The Star" on May 4 reported that former Land Bank chairman Bonile Jack has been sued for defamation by former Land Bank MD Helena Dolny. Dolny's lawyer said that a summons was issued against Jack and the deputy sherrif was expected to deliver the summons to jack's home. According to Dolny, the contents of the letter Jack wrote to the then deputy president Thabo Mbeki last year were defamatory. In the letter to Mbeki, Jack accused Dolny of racism, nepotism and mismanagement. The letter was leaked to the "The Star" which published the claims. Mbeki referred the matter to the Land Affairs and Agriculture Minister Thoko Dididza. The bank's board subsequently asked lawyer Michael Katz to head the inquiry into the allegations. Most of Jack's accusations were subsequently dismissed by the independent inquiry. The inquiry cleared Dolny of racism and nepotism but found she overstepped the mark when she did not seek ministerial consent before implementing a resolution to increase her salary and those of other officials. According to "The Star", Dolny originally planned to sue three parties for defamation: Jack, "The Star" and a former employee of the bank, Moira Mokuena. Stein said that a defamation suit against "The Star" was still under consideration.

JOURNALISTS - Cape Town photojournalist Obed Zilwa, who was arrested by the Zimbabwean police for allegedly planting a bomb in Harare last week, returned to South Africa on May 2, a few hours after the charges against him were dropped. Zilwa, who works for the Associated Press, was on his way to Johannesburg when he was arrested and detained at Harare Airport. He was in Zimbabwe to cover the land invasions for the last three weeks. According to "The Star", the Zimbabwe police suspected him of having a hand in the explosion that rocked the offices of the pro-opposition newspaper, the "Daily News". Zilwa arrived at the scene of the blast before the police and fire services. However, Zilwa's colleagues claimed he heard the blast and rushed back to pick up his cameras from his hotel room nearby. Zilwa said that there was no evidence against him, and the witness who allegedly saw him running from the scene of the blast did not appear in court. FXI was one of the organisations that condemned the detention of Zilwa and said: "It is not surprising that the press, and more specifically the foreign press, have become the Zimbabwean government's scapegoat. When the government is not laying blame at the door of the opposition and other parties, it is laying it on press".

MEDIA AND RACISM - The South African Press Association on May 4 reported that government information chief Joel Netshitenzhe said that had the South African National Editors Forum done what it had promised in terms of addressing racial and gender imbalances, the recent hearings on media racism would have been unnecessary. Speaking on World Press Freedom Day at a forum on "Racism and Transformation in the Media", Netshitenzhe said that since the recent SA Human Rights Commission hearings into racism, Sanef had become a house divided and would need to examine real issues within and bout itself. "Divisions between Sanef members became obvious during the hearings when five black editors made a joint submission accusing the media of being white dominated and unable to tell the full South Africa story". He said the media hearings, like the Truth and Reconciliation Commission process, had proved cathartic and had provoked much debate, but he warned editors they should not allow the racism debate to become an academic discussion. "The challenge facing Sanef is whether it will take the profession to new heights and open a process of self-improvement that we in the media could follow," he said PROTESTS - "The Citizen" on April 28 reported that about 150 protesters demanding reparation for apartheid-era human rights violations briefly disrupted Freedom Day celebrations at the Union Buildings in Pretoria on April 27. The placard-carrying protesters quickly dispersed after police asked them to leave once they had handed over to speakers, Gauteng Premier Mbhazima Shilowa and Public Service and Administration Minister Geraldine Fraser-Moleketi, memorandums outlining their grievances. Shilowa told the protesters it was not the right time and place but undertook to hand over the memorandum to President Thabo Mbeki. "The Citizen" said the leader of the Khulamani support group, which organised the protest, Sipho Duma, accused the government of ignoring the rights of victims of apartheid. "While the perpetrators got amnesty, the victims got nothing, no money or anything or anything else. The TRC had failed to unite the country's people. Not many people were aware of the processes that needed to be followed. People should have been educated about this," Duma said. Responding to this, Justice Ministry spokesperson Paul Setsetse said that "people have been paid and are being paid". He said that much had been done in the way of interim reparations, and the remaining issue was that of long-term reparations. "We do appreciate and take note of the concerns, frustrations and anger. But this is a long process,"Setsetse said. Ends