Jacques Pauw’s book launch had to be stopped shortly after it started, after the lights went out and generators failed to kick in.

JOHANNESBURG - Management at Hyde Park is said to be investigating a series of power cuts at the shopping centre during the launch of Jacques Pauw’s book The President’s Keepers.



Pauw’s book launch had to be stopped shortly after it started, after the lights went out and generators failed to kick in.

The book has sparked outrage from various government agencies with state security threatening legal action if it was not removed from the shelves.

In the weeks building up to Wednesday night’s book launch, Pauw says that he has received messages demanding that he stop.

While Exclusive Books' CEO couldn’t be drawn to share his thoughts on the coincidence of the power cut, he says he is surprised that the mall’s backup generators also failed to kick in.

“And the generators should have taken care of any power outage, so right now I’m a bit flummoxed.”

At the time of the power cut Pauw was sharing what he found out concerning the recent break-ins at the offices of the chief justice and the National Prosecuting Authority.

“Who’s committing these crimes? It’s people acting with complete impunity. Where do they come from? Why has there be no breakthrough in any of these investigations?”

Apart from the power cuts, people who attended the event say they were plagued by data blackouts, a problem that Hyde Park Mall staff say they've never experienced.

WATCH: In the dark: The President's Keepers' launch hit by power outage

STATE SECURITY AGENCY AT CENTRE

The State Security Agency has sent another cease and desist letter to get Pauw's latest book removed from the shelves.

The book contains allegations against President Jacob Zuma relating to corruption and irregularities with his tax affairs among other explosive revelations.

Pauw says also claims that the State Security Agency is a black hole where public funds are used fraudulently.

He says that his research and interviews have revealed fraud and corruption at the State Security Agency (SSA) and these couldn’t be held accountable because they operate in secret.

Pauw told the hundreds of people who had gathered for the book launch at Hyde Park Mall that an initial investigation into the SSA found that over a R1 billion had been spent over a two-year period on a project that didn’t produce anything.

“A billion rand of your money was spent on a project that produced absolutely nothing.”

Pauw says not even the Auditor-General has privileges of auditing the agency, saying that he believes some of the public funds may be used to fund a certain candidate's campaign in the coming African National Congress December elective conference.

“Where do you think hundreds of millions of rands is going? It’s probably going to support certain factions in the ANC.”

He says that despite investigations and allegations of treason made against the SSA’s Arthur Fraser, he has been promoted to the agency’s director-general post, calling him a President Jacob Zuma keeper.

(Edited by Leeto M Khoza)