Pretoria - The Presidency has noted media reports on the concerns of former President Thabo Mbeki about the utterances of the newly-appointed head of the Special Investigating Unit, Willem Heath.
The Presidency also received a letter from lawyers acting for Mbeki on the utterances.
The Presidency has pointed out that none of the allegations made by Heath have been attributed to any duty or function which he exercises as the Head of the SIU and a perusal of the newspaper report makes it abundantly clear that it was conducted by Heath in his personal capacity.
The Presidency and Government in general have nothing whatsoever to do with the comments made by Heath.
Given the serious nature of the allegations, President Jacob Zuma announced his decision to the public, during an interview with Ukhozi FM, on 7 December, that immediately when he became aware of the City Press newspaper article, he had instructed his office to investigate the facts and circumstances surrounding the Heath interview.
"We wish to emphasise therefore, that President Zuma acted on the matter before any complaint from any quarter, because he was concerned about the contents of the interview," the Presidency said in a statement.
The President has requested the Minister of Justice and Constitutional Development to assist his office and prioritise the matter so that it can be brought to conclusion without delay.
