Issued by: Office of the Deputy President
Rev. Frank Chikane, the Director-General in the Office of Deputy President Thabo Mbeki, has noted with concern distorted media reports regarding his meetings with Mzwakhe Mbuli at Pretoria Maximum Prison.
The Director-General has visited Mzwakhe Mbuli on several occasions at the prison in his capacity as a senior pastor of the Naledi congregation of the Apostolic Faith Mission of South Africa of which Mr. Mbuli is a congregant.
This pastoral responsibility is shared between Rev. Chikane and the Assistant Pastor, Rev. Enoch Mbantsa.
Thus Rev. Chikane has never visited Mr. Mbuli in his capacity as a member of the National Executive Committee of the ANC nor has he ever been requested by the ANC to convey any message including on Christmas Day to Mr. Mbuli from the organisation.
At no stage during his visits to the prison or conversations has Mr. Mbuli ever conveyed to Rev. Chikane the suggestion that he was no longer welcomed to visit or call him. This is a complete fabrication.
Rev. Frank Chikane regrets the false reports and innuendo contained in these articles and appeals to the media to double-check their facts before printing falsehoods.
For more information contact Ronnie Mamoepa at 082-9900-4853
Issued by Office of Deputy President T.M.Mbeki
Communications Division P/Bag X955 Pretoria
18 January 1999