ACCESS TO INFORMATION - On July 21, former law and order minister Adriaan Vlok told the Truth Commission that former president PW Botha had given an order that Khotso House, SA Council of Churches headqouters in Johannesburg should be bombed. Vlok became the first National Party minister to accept responsibility for all acts committed by police during his term of office in the late 80s. He applied for amnesty to the TRC for the 1988 Khotso House bombing, 1987 Cosatu House bombing and for placing bombs at cinemas screening the anti apartheid films. Vlok said that Botha had asked him to investigate possible ways of destroying Khotso House because he suspected that the SACC was helping the ANC's armed struggle. He admitted that the apartheid policies were wrong but said compared with the communism and Marxism threat posed by the ANC and its allies by that time, it was the lesser of two evils. He said that he had applied for amnesty after he had done a deep soul search, self-analysis and prayer. On July 22 Vlok and former police commissioner Gen Johan van der Merwe told the TRC that former state president FW De Klerk knew of illegal covert actions by the police. They said they informed him long before the 1994 elections about the police involvement in illegal activities. Their testimony contradicted De Klerk's submission last year that he knew nothing about any illegal activities by the police.

ACCESS TO INFORMATION - An amnesty applicant told the TRC on July 21 that the ANC ordered bank and cash-in -transit vehicle robberies in Ermelo, Mpumalanga during the early 90's, to help fund the armed struggle. According to senior ANC Ermelo member Fanyana Mndebele, a number of security guards were killed in the attacks. Mndebele is one of the 13 ANC members who have applied for amnesty for their role in the murder of at least eight people between 1990 and 1992. He told the TRC that the ANC had no choice but to resort to robberies to fund its local activities because of repeated attacks on cadres by the Black Cats vigilante gang infiltrated by IFP members and the police Special Branch agents. He said that some members of the gang received training from the SA Defence Force at secret bases in the Caprivi Strip in Namibia. Mndebele pointed out that not all of those killed by the ANC cadres had been state agents or affiliated to political parties but insisted their deaths had been part of military operations by Umkhonto we Sizwe.

BROADCASTING - SABC's deputy group chief executive Govin Reddy has filed papers with the Commission for Conciliation, Mediation and Arbitration following his dismissal on July 1. "The Saturday Star" reported on July 18 that Reddy and the SABC board had had a meeting which was less amicable and ended with the letter delivered to Reddy's home informing him of his dismissal and the withdrawal of a job offer made by outgoing chief Zwelakhe Sisulu. Reddy said that his decision to pursue his case with the Human Rights Commission and the CCMA was spurred by the SABC's conduct, particularly regarding his salary. " It is a really cruel way to treat people in the new, humane South Africa." Meanwhile, Reddy denied that he had been removed as President of the Commonwealth Broadcasting Association as claimed by the SABC on July 21, but he had stepped down until his dispute with the corporation is over. He said he was not removed but felt it fair to recuse himself when his contract was terminated, until the legal issue was over.

JOURNALISTS - Nine Gugulethu policemen were suspended from duty on July 20 following an assault on "Cape Argus" reporter Thabo Mabaso at Gugulethu police station. West Metropole police chief Ganief Daniels said that the decision to suspend the involved officers on full pay was taken on July 20 and on July 21 the men were told not to report for duty. Daniels said that an internal inquiry established that there was a substantial possibility that members concerned may be guilty of serious misconduct. He said that their continued presence at the police station and the lack of satisfactory progress in the criminal investigation had resulted in a considerable breakdown in trust between the Gugulethu police and the community. "This adversely affected the operational efficiency of the station in terms of service and delivery," Daniels said.

JOURNALISTS - On July 22, SAPA reported that KwaZulu Natal SABC radio news editor Mtholephi Mthimkhulu will leave the corporation to join the provincial ANC executive committee. Mthimkhulu was elected one of the committee's additional 13 members on July 18. SABC radio news editor-in-chief Barney Mthombothi said Mthimkhulu's election was incompatible with the SABC's rules and regulations which forbid staff members to hold positions in political offices.

PARLIAMENT - The Ethics Bill which will be tabled in parliament, will empower the President to publish a code of ethics for every Member of Parliament. The bill regards the President `s office as the arbiter and enforcer of ethics for democratic and good governance.While the code has yet to be finalised , the bill says that it must require all members of executives to " at all times act in good faith and in the best interest of the Government and to meet all obligations imposed on them by the law". Among other things, the bill says the code might require cabinet ministers and deputy ministers to disclose, to an official designated for the purpose, all their financial interests when assuming office and any financial interests acquired after assuming office, including gifts and hospitality received by them, their families or other close associates. The bill sets limits on who may complain about an alleged breach of code. The public protector will investigate an alleged breach by a cabinet Member if the complaint is made by the president, a member of the National Assembly or a permanent delegate to the National Council of Provinces. Alleged breaches by the MEC's will be investigated if the complaint comes from a premier or member of the provincial legislature. The code will not affect the President's power to appoint or dismiss members of the Cabinet, even during the course of an investigation. It will also not be used to prevent or delay the prosecution in court of executive members.

PRIVACY - President Mandela on July 22 defended his embattled press secretary Parks Mankahlana and said he had full confidence in his ability. Mankahlana has been criticised by journalists for allegedly lying about Pres Mandela's marriage to Graca Machel. SAPA reported that Mandela said Mankahlana did not know, the only person who knew was Thabo Mbeki. Mandela said that the fact that he did not inform Mankahlana led to him being convinced that the marriage reports were untrue and Mandela was not in a position to come out and correct that. He said that the danger of making adverse comments about Mankahlana is that any further comment the media will make in future, he will just reject and not take seriously. Mandela indicated that media's attack on Mankahlana was unfounded.

TELECOMMUNICATIONS - Telkom has lost about R4 million since April this year as a result of telephone line tapping and other fraudulent uses of its services. Telkom has investigated 40 cases of fraud and 12 people had been arrested since April 1. According to Telkom's security and investigative unit manager Peter Ross, Telkom has deployed 80 investigators nationwide who are working in conjunction with the police to combat telephone fraud crimes. Ross said Telkom had systems in place that could detect unusually high use on customers lines. He said by the end of 1999, the old electro-mechanical exchanges now in operation will have been converted to digital exchanges which detect line tapping faster.