Posted 03/06/2008
CLOSURE OF EVER-FASTERNEWS
We regret to inform our readers that we are suspending this Blog (our website) as from today.

We have been in action for several successful years, our readership is at a peak (mostly in the United States, South Africa and Europe), feedback from readers and contributors has been excellent, and we feel we have made a contribution towards unravelling some of the mysteries of South Africa in a complex and critical period.

James Myburgh's blog
However, our co-editor James Myburgh has returned to Johannesburg, working for Moneyweb. We commend his excellent politics site to you: www.politicsweb.co.za (Click here).
Stanley Uys and Paul Trewhela remain based in the UK, and will contribute articles to Politicsweb, but they cannot keep this blog going on the regular basis required. In Stanley's case, health factors are also a consideration.

The blog (www.ever-fasternews.com) will remain posted at this site indefinitely so that readers can access the articles that have been printed since our foundation, principally by clicking on the heading 'Articles'. Personal statements posted today conclude our work.

So farewell from Stanley Uys, James Myburgh and Paul Trewhela. And many thanks for all your support.

Posted 03/06/2008
FAREWELL, AND THANKS, TO ALL
Stanley Uys

I first met my co-editor-to-be James Myburgh in one of those coffee shops in St. George's Mall, Cape Town, in 2001. He was a young researcher with the opposition Democratic Alliance in parliament; I had retired as the morning newspaper group's London editor, still dabbling in journalism, but escaping the UK winter. James had been a student at Cape Town university, under Professor Hermann Giliomee, and it was at Hermann's house in Stellenbosch that I was shown (for my comment) an article written by James.

James's article was on Mbeki, and I was so impressed by it that I showed it to the editor of the Sunday Independent, who was also impressed. This is what occasioned my meeting with James at the coffee shop. We discussed the as yet unpublished article. (See here for full article; and see below for James Myburgh's article from 2001, Mbeki and the Total Formula).

Posted 03/06/2008
A FAREWELL SALUTE TO OUR READERS
Paul Trewhela

The best qualities of western journalism focused on South Africa
Ever-fasternews managed to find a balance between reportage and analysis. The reportage came from South Africa, mostly from reports in the South African press published online, then copied, sub-edited and posted on ever-fasternews. This was journalism often of the highest quality. Analysis came from individual articles from the South African press published online (frequently from editorials or regular columns written by established writers), from contributions by readers which may or may not have been published elsewhere, and from original interpretation by members of the editorial team. Original analysis derived from a wide-ranging and varied combination of experience of South African political conditions of over fifty years as well as from immediate contemporary experience. The criteria of selection for posting of articles related to the best qualities of western journalism. (See entire article here).

Posted 03/06/2008
MBEKI AND THE TOTAL FORMULA
The president's leadership style is to surround himself with yes-men and entrench party control at all costs.

This article by James Myburgh was published in the Sunday Independent (Johannesburg) on April 1, 2001.
(See here. Also 'Farewell" above by Stanley Uys):

Posted 03/05/2008
ANATOMY OF SOUTH AFRICAN DECAY

James Myburgh

The racial breakdown of the 2007 matriculation results, released by the Department of Education last month, provide an important insight into the cause and extent of the crisis currently facing South Africa. The Department points out these statistics "cannot be regarded as completely reliable" based as they are on self-reporting. There are pupils who refuse to classify themselves by race and others who misclassify themselves by mistake. Last year, apparently, numerous Indian and black pupils erroneously classified themselves as 'Asian.' Click here to read further ...

Posted 03/04/2008
VIDEO INSIGHT INTO A MALIGNANT BIGGER PICTURE
Karima Brown
Business Day (4/3/2008)

Residential segregation at University of Free State since 1990s
IT IS not often I find myself agreeing with the South African Students' Congress (Sasco). But I must confess I share Sasco's sense that firm action must be taken not only against the students who made the racist video at the University of the Free State, but also the administration under whose watch the whole sorry business happened. (See more here).

Posted 03/04/2008
GRIM OUTLOOK FOR S.A. ECONOMY
Thabang Mokopanele
Business Day (4/3/2008)

Fewer orders, input price inflation, cut-backs in production

MANUFACTURING activity slumped to a four-and-half-year low last month, knocked by slowing consumer demand for cars and furniture and the power crisis, according to the latest Investec purchasing managers' index. (See more here)

Posted 03/03/2008
'STATE OF THE NATION'
Mondli Makhanya, Editor. Sunday Times (2/3/2008)

From the world's most optimistic nation to a state of depression
I'd like to deal with the rather gloomy mood our country is in. The big question is, how did we find ourselves in this situation where a country whose citizens were among the world's most optimistic, finds itself in a state of depression, with the world increasingly doubting its viability as a prosperous democracy.(See full article here).

Posted 03/03/2008
MINEWORKERS TO LOSE JOBS AFTER POWER CUTS
The Times online (29/2/2008)

Minister acknowledges mining job losses unavoidable
The Minister of Minerals and Energy, Buyelwa Sonjica, has confirmed that job losses at South African mines are unavoidable. Ms Sonjica [who provoked anger when she told Parliament last month that people should go to bed earlier because of power cuts - ed] said this became apparent at a meeting last week with labour unions and the Chamber of Mines, but she would not disclose the number of job losses that will take place. The urgent meeting was called after some mining companies warned that the country's power restrictions could force them to shed thousands of jobs. Mining companies across the country were forced to shut down for five days last month due to a shortage of power supply. Eskom has since asked all its large industrial clients, including mines and smelters, to cut energy consumption by 10% because of power shortages. It has suggested that companies will have to live with these restrictions until 2012 when it brings additional generation on stream. Gold, platinum and ferrochrome miners have been the hardest hit, with most advising that production forecasts for the year were unlikely to be met. South Africa’s second-largest gold producer Gold Fields said earlier that 6,900 jobs were at risk as a result of the electricity restrictions. Trade union Solidarity has estimated that South Africa's power crisis could result in more than 15,000 job losses while Efficient Group chief economist Dawie Roodt estimates that the number could be as high as 60,000 to 80,000.

Posted 03/03/2008
ZUMA TRIAL: TAX FRAUD EVIDENCE PRESENTED TO COURT
The Times online (1/3/2008)

Failure to declare R2.7m in payments from Schabir Shaik alleged
The National Prosecuting Authority alleged in the Constitutional Court last week that Jacob Zuma, the president of the ruling African National Congress, 'failed to disclose' to the South African Revenue Service and to Parliament for the nine years from 1995 to 2003 that he had received 583 payments from the convicted fraudster, Schabir Shaik.(See more here).

Posted 03/02/2008
ZUMA TRIES TO BLOCK PROSECUTION EVIDENCE
Paddy Harper
The Times online (1/3/2008)

Court application in Mauritius to block release of arms deal documents
African National Congress president Jacob Zuma has come out with guns blazing in affidavits submitted to court, stopping short of accusing President Thabo Mbeki of lying and conspiring to prevent him from becoming the country's next President. Zuma claims he is being targeted by forces in the ANC and government because of his 'pro-poor' political beliefs in a bid to prevent him from becoming President of the country. (See more here).

Posted 03/02/2008
THERE WILL BE BLOOD: COMMUNIST COUP THREAT IN S.A.
Paul Trewhela

SACP and Cosatu prepare to impose command economy by force
On the sixtieth anniversary of the imposition of a Communist regime on Czechoslovakia by bullying and by stealth, it would appear that the South African Communist Party and the Congress of South African Trade Unions are planning a coup to install a Stalinist state in South Africa that will impose a command economy. (See full article here).

Posted 03/02/2008
CHIPPY SHAIK FOUND GUILTY OF PhD PLAGIARISM
Jocelyn Maker and Megan Power
Sunday Times (2/3/2008)
Shaik 'plagiarised massively' to secure degree with fake thesis
Shamin 'Chippy' Shaik, former Director of Procurement in the Department of Defence and a central figure is allegations of corruption in the South African arms deal scandal of 1998/99, has been found to have copied the work of five international professors published in a book more than 20 years ago in a thesis submitted for a doctoral degree. Shaik has been officially unmasked as a fake and unceremoniously stripped of his doctorate by the University of KwaZulu-Natal. (More here).

Posted 03/01/2008
RECONCILIATION TAKEN 'TOO FAR'
The Citizen (here) 2/28/2008

South Africa’'s early democracy after 1994 reached out too far with a policy of reconciliation at the expense of 'transformation', the SAHRC said yesterday.

'We focused too much on reconciliation in the first years of our democracy,' said SA Human Rights Commission chairman Jody Kollapen. This had led to difficulties in advancing a 'transformation' agenda because beneficiaries of apartheid resisted transformation as they saw it as undermining reconciliation, he said. Kollapen said criticising early democracy's over-emphasis on reconciliation was not a personal attack on Nelson Mandela. At the time perhaps it was necessary to have such reconciliatory policies, however, with the benefit of hindsight perhaps reconciliation was pushed too far, he said. The response of the white community in post-apartheid South Africa was disappointing, said Kollapen. 'They did not come to the party and contribute to the transformation of the country.'  The recent apology by Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd for the past mistreatment and suffering of aboriginal people was an example to which South Africa should look. This apology was 'not grudging or limited' but 'sincere' and showed the beginning of an understanding of the hurt and pain caused to people. In South Africa these kind of apologies did not happen.

[Ed.-Kollagen does not recognise the contradiction: an 'apology' for apartheid is a demand for 'reconciliation'. Or that 'transformation' - apportioning South Africa's resourses in accordance with the size of the four ethnic groups (Africans 79.5%, Whites 9.2%, Coloureds 8.9%, Indians 2,5%) - is apartheid continued and contra-reconciliation.]

Posted 02/29/2008
COSATU WHIPS ZUMA INTO LINE
Hajra Omarjee. Business Day.28/2/2008

IN AN astonishing flip-flop on labour policy, African National Congress (ANC) president Jacob Zuma has been whipped into line by his trade union allies over his recent comments in support of a more flexible labour policy. (See more here).

Posted 02/28/2008
BODYGUARD OF LIES
Sam van den Berg  

What conclusions can one draw from mounting evidence that the ANC may be steeped in corruption? (See more here).

Posted 02/28/2008
WIKIPEDIA CO-FOUNDER SLAMS TELKOM MONOPOLY
Sunday Times ( 29/4/2007 )

Government money squeeze in Telkom monopoly prevents access to Internet
Two of the world's leading Internet celebrities have blasted South Africa ’s telecommunications policy and called for the unbundling of the Telkom monopoly. The South African government owns a major stake in Telkom, which controls the infrastructure that makes surfing the Internet possible. Larry Lessig, author and cyber-law professor, and Jimmy Wales, co-founder of on-line encyclopedia Wikipedia, said government's telecom monopoly was preventing access to the Internet, which plays a vital role in the spread of information. Lessig and Wales were guest speakers at a two-day digital technology exhibition at the University of the Western Cape in Cape Town in April last year. Speaking to the Sunday Times afterwards, they voiced concern that high telecom prices were having a negative impact on Internet access. (See more here).

Posted 02/28/2008
ZUMA'S ROLE IN ARMS DEAL CORRUPTION, COURT TOLD
(28/2/2008)

ANC president 'met French company in London in arms deal negotiation'
Jacob Zuma, the president of the African National Congress and reigning candidate to become President of South Africa following general elections next year, actively and personally used his political status to attempt to secure an arms deal contract for his financial adviser, Schabir Shaik (to whom he was deeply in debt), the Constitutional Court was told on Tuesday this week. According to a submission by Shaik's counsel, Martin Brassey, Zuma attended a meeting on 2 July 1998 at the offices in Whitehall, London, of the British Department of Defence together with Shaik and Jean-Paul Perrier, head of the French arms company Thomson France, in order to 'smooth over' difficulties relating to transfer of shares to Shaik's Black Economic Empowerment company, Nkobi Holdings. (See more here).

Posted 02/27/2008
MANUEL'S ATTEMPTED GAGGING ORDER ON ARMS DEAL ACTIVIST
Times online, JHB, 27/2/2008

Finance Minister's action against arms deal 'prostitution' claim 'unconstitutional'
Finance Minister Trevor Manuel was damaging his own reputation and that of the country by applying for a court order that would silence him, anti-arms deal activist Terry Crawford- Browne said yesterday. The Cape High Court on Monday heard Manuel's urgent application for an order to stop Crawford-Browne from publicly claiming that Manuel was guilty of corruption in the government's multi-billion rands arms deal. Crawford-Browne said: 'A gagging order would make a mockery of the guarantees in the Constitution, which is the foundation of our constitutional democracy.' If Manuel succeeded in his application, said Crawford-Browne, he would compound the international image of South Africa 'as a country where corruption and crime are out of control'. Manuel ‘will also have shredded our constitutional commitments to ministerial accountability and freedom of expression,' he said. Crawford-Browne said that when he told Manuel to his face that he had 'prostituted' himself when he signed the loan agreements for the funding of the deal, his use of the word 'was both accurate and appropriate'. Judge Andre le Grange is expected to make his decision on the application known later this week.

[Note by Ever-fasternews: Terry Crawford-Browne, a former banker, is the author of Eye on the Money. One Man's Crusade against Corruption (Umuzi/Random House, Johannesburg, 2007) which sets out the campaign of Economists Allied for Arms Reduction (ECAAR-SA) against the corrupt 1998/99 arms deal organised under then Deputy President Thabo Mbeki. The book was reviewed on ever-fasternews in 'The arms deal. The Modise-Mbeki axis' (28 October 2008). In his book, Crawford-Browne concludes that 'the ANC and its elite' had been 'bought for mere petty cash' by international arms companies. (p.193) This book was followed a few months later by After the Party. A Personal and Political Journey inside the ANC (Jonathan Ball, JHB, 2007) by the former ANC MP, Andrew Feinstein, who was sacked by the ANC from his position on the parliamentary Standing Commission on Public Accounts in 2001 because of his tenacious efforts to expose Cabinet-level corruption in the arms deal. (See 'Book review: Andrew Feinstein: The case against Mbeki', 8 January 2008). Feinstein will speak at the London launch of his book at Foyles Bookshop, 113-119 Charing Cross Road, London WC2, on Thursday, 28 February 2008 at 6.30pm. – Ed].

Posted 02/27/2008
COSATU AXES ITS PRESIDENT
The Congress of South African Trade Unions (Cosatu) yesterday axed Willy Madisha as its president over his involvement in a missing R500,000 (£33,000) donation scandal. An acting president will be elected at the next Central Executive Committee in May. City Press reports: 'Madisha's expulsion will signal the intensification of a campaign to rid Cosatu of leaders who backed President Thabo Mbeki's failed bid for a third-term as ANC leader'. Madisha was suspended as president of the South African Democratic Teachers' Union (Sadtu) in December for apparently telling members not to vote for the then deputy president of the African National Congress, Jacob Zuma, at the party's national conference that month. Zuma was elected president at the conference. Malawian businessman Charles Modise laid a complaint against the South African Communist Party (SACP) last year in connection with a R500,000 [£33,000] donation he claimed to have made to the party in 2002. He said he gave the money to Madisha, who in turn swore he delivered the money to SACP general secretary Blade Nzimande. Nzimande denies receiving the money.

Posted 02/26/2008
THE DEMOCRATIC "BRONZE MEDAL"

Tony Leon, the former Democratic Alliance leader, describes the ejection of Thabo Mbeki as ANC leader at Polokwane as a "bronze medal in the democratic Olympics." The gold medal, he comments, would have been a change of government. "The silver medal would have been a better choice than Zuma versus Mbeki. But a bronze medal is better than no prize at all." In an interview with Politicsweb Leon set out what he regarded as the potential upsides and downsides of the Polokwane revolution. As to how they will play themselves out in the end, "only time will tell." Click here to read further....

Posted 02/26/2008
READER'S RESPONSE TO DRECHSLER
Sirs, Wolfgang Drechsler's article (see here) is valuable for its analysis of African sociology. The rest is drivel, and atypical of your website. "Africans," he writes, "are actually aware of their home-made problems, but indignantly reject each and any criticism purely in order not to lose the regular maintenance payments extracted by manipulating the feelings of guilt of the West." By my lights, what payments are made overwhelmingly flow from the south to the north: Europe remains rich because Africa stays poor. Is Drechsler so ill-informed that he is unaware that Kenya's total foreign debt totals US $ 9-billion? (See http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/chronicle/archive/2005/03/02/MNGRMBJ04I1.DTL) The interest on that swallows 40% of Kenya's national budget, diverting money from roads, schools, clinics and what have you. Even a country such as Ethiopia, among the world's poorest, pays hundreds of millions of dollars each year in interest to rich foreign lenders, a regime zealously enforced by IMF and World Bank lobbying for "fiscal responsibility".

This is without even accounting for the wholesale export of African raw material to the north. South Africa and Botswana's diamonds, for example, end up on cutting tables in Antwerp and Tel Aviv. There, they create jobs, companies and entire industries that would have benefitted their countries of origin except for the bias that the mine owners, mainly white, still have against supporting local cutters. What do the European cutters do then? They turn around and sell the same stones, now polished and set, back to the countries they extracted them from. Nigerian oil is refined away from Nigeria, then sold back to them by the oil multinationals, and so it goes. This beneficiation and selling back to the original supplier acts as a fig leaf. It disguises the shame that Europe had nothing to export to the rest of the world except force, mounted on gunboats from around 1500 or so. If he is not reporting this, then Drechsler must be unaware of these basic facts. In that case, I maintain that a livelihood other than journalism awaits him.

Sincerely
Thabo Seseane

Posted 02/26/2008
CANDIDE IN SOUTH AFRICA

Posted 02/24/2008
ZUMA FACTION PROBES MBEKI-LED ANC'S SHADY DEALS
Buddy Naidu
Sunday Times (24/3//2008 )

Phosa warns that law will take its course if criminality is found
THE ANC'S new leadership has ordered a forensic audit of all empowerment deals and tenders worth billions acquired by the party's controversial investment company, Chancellor House. The Sunday Times has established that the auditing firm Ernst & Young has been appointed to look into the company's books and unravel a series of 'questionable' transactions. The investigation, started by the ANC leadership elected at the December conference in Polokwane, is also expected to look into the roles played by President Thabo Mbeki's inner circle, including his deputy, Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka, and former ANC Treasurer-General Mendi Msimang, husband of Health Minister Manto Tshabalala-Msimang. In a move that could be seen as post-Polokowane vengefulness, insiders say all the party's secrets could be revealed and those who benefited could be named and shamed. One said: 'Heads will definitely roll if anything untoward is unearthed, as expected.' (See more here).

Posted 02/24/2008
CABINET-LEVEL EFFORT TO REASSURE ANGLO AMERICAN
Moipone Malefane and Rowan Philip
Sunday Times (29/3/2008 )

Shift of Anglo American investment plans away from South Africa?
Deputy Finance Minister Jabu Moleketi dropped everything last week and flew to London to persuade investors not to abandon South Africa in favour of safer havens in Australia, Canada and the US. Moleketi told the Sunday Times that despite the pressure of Wednesday's Budget presentation, it was felt he and senior officials should attend the Anglo American results presentation in London and confront concerns about political and economic stability in South Africa. He said Anglo American chief executive Cynthia Carroll had signalled to the government that she was coming under pressure to shift investment plans from South Africa to Australia , Canada, the US and other countries. (See more here).

Posted 02/24/2008
'I SAW NOTHING WRONG' - ANC PRESIDENT ON RACE RULING
Paul Trewhela

The Rainbow Nation Begins to Separate its Colours

Posted 02/23/2008
HERMANN GILIOMEE ON SOUTH AFRICA'S STRUCTURAL CRISIS
Interview with Alec Hogg
Politicsweb (14/2/2008)

The South African historian discusses the current crisis with Alec Hogg

ALEC HOGG: You're with the Moneyweb Power Hour and it's a warm welcome now to the former professor from University of Cape Town and from Stellenbosch University, Hermann Giliomee, one of our great historians in South Africa. Hermann, you wrote a piece last week for Die Burger and Die Beeld newspapers, and it's elicited a whole lot of interesting reaction. Let's just go back to it a little bit. As a historian you've been looking at South Africa and saying that we're now in the third major crisis of modern times, the first being the 1929 depression, and the other one between '85 and '90, which we all remember so well. I don't know how many people would understand, being right in the middle of it, that it's quite as serious as it is at the moment. How are you making this distinction?

HERMANN GILIOMEE: Well, I suppose one looks at some indicators. One looks at public confidence, one looks at the way in which the world assesses South Africa, and I think there's quite a lot in common between these three crises. The only thing is that at this particular time people still try and see the various crises like electricity, water supply, crime, corruption, as distinct crises - they don'y see it as one general structural crisis. (For the whole interview, see here).

Posted 02/23/2008
WHITE JOURNALISTS EXCLUDED FROM ZUMA ADDRESS

Hajra Omarjee

The Forum for Black Journalists, started in 1996, has organised a conference today from which white journalists have been excluded. The ANC, which has been invited, defended the move yesterday, saying that while the ANC itself is multiracial, it respected the Forum for Black Journalists' 'constitutional right' to organise along racial lines, and would not dictate to them. The forum relaunches in Johannesburg this weekend. The Human Rights Commission’s chairman, Jody Kollapen, said 'There may well be a need for such an organisation, but to exclude white journalists based on their race has to be questioned.' Zuma, elected ANC president in December, is suing a number of media houses for defamation. He has also repeatedly rapped journalists over the knuckles for reporting on allegations of corruption against him. Head of Wits University's journalism school, Prof Anton Harber, said yesterday the exclusion of nonblack journalists concerned him because the invitation said that discussions could not be published. He said this was tantamount to an off-the-record briefing. While the Freedom of Expression Institute defended the right of the forum to organise along racial lines, it said it was 'unstrategic at worst' to prevent any journalists, no matter their race, from attending. Forum for Black Journalists’ chairman Abbey Makoe defended the gathering, saying all black journalists as defined by the law could attend. Zuma said he saw nothing wrong when asked whether he approved of the exclusion of white journalists. Radio 702 laid a formal complaint of racial prejudice with the South African Human Rights Commission. The South African National Editors Forum (Sanef) condemned the exclusion of white reporters, saying this 'has no place in South Africa today. Our democracy came after a hard fought struggle at several levels, including the media, and every effort should be made to protect it'.

[Note by Ever-fasternews: Suppose this. The Forum for White Journalists, representing journalists such as Ruth First, Brian Bunting, Laurence Gandar and Donald Woods, organises a conference to which certain political parties only are admitted, and others not, and which excludes black journalists. The ANC naturally regards this as perfectly legitimate and not racist. (Ruth First and Brian Bunting were editors of the banned Communist Party newspaper, New Age. First was assassinated by the apartheid regime with a parcel bomb in 1982, while in exile in Mozambique. Bunting was correspondent for the Soviet news agency, Tass, in exile in London. Gandar was constantly harried by the apartheid state while editor of the Rand Daily Mail. Woods, the editor of the Daily DispatcH in East London, fled South Africa after the arrest and murder of his friend, Steve Biko, and wrote the book about Biko from which the film Cry Freedom was made). Naturally the ANC is not guilty of humbug.

Would it also not be more consistent for the Forum for Black Journalists to consider repudiation of the Roman alphabet as the vehicle for its thoughts, and the invention of a more racially pure form? - Ed].

Posted 02/22/2008
ESKOM CHAIRMAN IN ANC FUNDRAISING CONFLICT
Stefaans Brummer and Sam Sole
Mail&Guardian ( 8/2/2008)

ANC fundraiser as chair of parastatal awarding contracts to ANC
Eskom board chair Valli Moosa presided over the parastatal giving contracts worth billions to African National Congress (ANC) funding company Chancellor House - while also serving on the ANC's fundraising committee. (See more here).

Posted 02/21/2008
MBEKI PLOTTED AGAINST ME, SAYS ZUMA
Jacob Zuma has accused President Thabo Mbeki and the suspended national director of public prosecutions Vusi Pikoli of being the chief suspects in a conspiracy against him. Zuma states under oath that the decision to recharge him and French arms company Thint for corruption is part of a 'carefully orchestrated, politically inspired and driven strategy to exclude me from any meaningful political role'. (See more here).

Posted 02/21/2008
AFRICA THINKS WITH ITS BLOOD
Wolfgang Drechsler
Africa correspondent of the Tagesspiegel

Where the conditional ['subjunctive'] does not exist, it needs to be invented for Africa. The Black continent should be as developed as South America or Asia. Africa possesses every precious metal or other raw material that the earth has to offer. Africa has 88 percent of all platinum reserves, 73 percent of all diamonds, 60 percent of all cobalt and manganese, and 40 of all the gold in the world. Agriculture could flourish and produce surpluses. Africa’s rivers have immense potential for hydro-electric power generation. The Congo River basin alone could generate enough energy to light up virtually the whole continent from Cape to Cairo. (See entire article here).

Posted 02/20/2008
HOW THE ANC IS FUNDED: A THEORY
Paul Trewhela

An hypothesis about state funding of the ANC
From almost as soon as the African National Congress took office in South Africa in 1994, in my interpretation, the arms deal was the occasion, not the cause, of radical dysfunction in government. (See entire article here).

Posted 02/18/2008
FUTURE OF THE SCORPIONS
Letter to the Editor: I wonder if those in the ANC who push so hard for the removal of the Scorpions have considered what the consequences of their actions are for the image of the ANC in general?  Do they realise that they are creating a perception that ANC voters are actually happy to live in a corrupt and criminal environment? That begs the question: Is that really what the majority of ANC voters want? I find that hard to believe.  Could it be that some of those who voted at Polokwane are so bent on protecting comrades from the consequences of their doings, that they have completely lost touch with their constituents? Or do they simply not care a hoot?
Johan Kriel.
ONRUS RIVER (Cape Province, South Africa).
083 235 8316

Posted 02/18/2008
LOOKING AHEAD AT WEDNESDAY'S BUDGET
Razia Kahn, Standard Chartered

To halve unemployment in South Africa by 2014, growth of 6 percent a year was required under the the government's programme - the Accelerated and Shared Growth Initiatives for South Africa (ASGISA). Then predicted growth was dropped from 4.3 percent to 3 percent. The country has two levels of unemploymemt: those who are actively seeking work but are jobless – 26 percemt. And those who for one reason of another have given up seeking work – 38 percent. In a budget review today, Razia Khan (Regional Head of Rssearch, Africa: Standard Chartered Bank) comments: 'We have revised down our full year GDP forecast for 2008 from an initial 4.8% to 3%. Even without taking into account the additional expenditure that may now be required, revenue collection is likely to fall. This will have implications for South Africa’s fiscal policy'. (Razia.Khan@standardchartered.com). Here are a few extracts from Khan's review: (See more here).

Posted 02/17/2008
ARMED GUARD FOR BROADCASTING INQUIRY
Cecil Motsepe
City Press. 6/2/2008

The SABC (state-owned South African Broadcasting Corporation) has hired four bodyguards to protect its head of internal audits, Elsje Oosthuizen, from being harmed or killed by high-ranking ­officials being probed for fraud and corruption. City Press understands that Oosthuizen is probing influential individuals, including a well-known station manager, a marketing manager and a top SABC lawyer. Now the broadcaster is nervous about her safety. A decision was made in the middle of last year to beef up security around her after she allegedly received threatening phone calls and was followed as she drove out of the SABC's Auckland Park offices.Oosthuizen now has bodyguards 24 hours a day, at work and at home. (See more here).

Posted 02/17/2008
'TURMOIL' IN S.A.FIFA CUP PREPARATIONS
Bareng Batho-Kortjaas
Sunday Times. 16/2/2008



'The way Danny spoke to Tim: God, I have never in my whole life heard a man speak to another man like that'.
Infighting and mistrust is causing widespread tension within the company entrusted to pull off Africa's first Fifa World Cup. Key players in the country's 2010 Local Organising Committee (LOC) are barely talking to each other, while chief executive Danny Jordaan is being labelled a 'control freak'. 'It is an accident waiting to happen,' an official in the LOC's inner circles said this week. Today the Sunday Times can reveal that media personality Tim Modise, appointed chief communications and marketing officer, was on the brink of leaving the company last week. In addition, strained relations between Jordaan and the LOC chairman, Irvin Khoza, are filtering down into the ranks at the Nasrec headquarters.
Behind the scenes there is bad blood that is affecting the functioning of the LOC. There is 'mistrust' between South African soccer's two most powerful men, who were constantly second-guessing each other. Khoza was this week said to be gleaning his information about the deteriorating situation from other executives rather than Jordaan himself. Fears are growing in soccer circles that although infrastructure projects like stadiums will be completed on time, Fifa will lose confidence in South Africans' ability to run the event and simply parachute in its own people take it over. Fifa boss Sepp Blatter was forced to intervene to repair Khoza and Jordaan’s relationship.
(See entire report here)

Posted 02/17/2008
THE SIX WIVES OF JACOB ZUMA
Bongani Mthethwa and Subashni Naidoo.
Sunday Times. 16/2/2008

ANC leader set to emulate Henry VIII - but he'll be married to them all at once.
The country's most prominent polygamist, Jacob Zuma (newly elected president of the ruling African National Congress), is set to add another bride to his harem - and probably wife number six after that. Just weeks after tying the knot with Nompumelelo Ntuli in a ceremony attended by about 400 guests, plans are under way for the 65-year-old to take on his fifth wife. It was established this week that the unemployed Zuma - who is currently in Mauritius to prepare for a legal challenge - has already paid lobolo [bride price in cattle) for Thobeka Mabhija, described as a Durban socialite. Following Zuma's election as ANC president, the 35-year-old Mabhija was said to have spread the word in Durban circles that she was going to be the country's next first lady. She later denied saying this. When contacted for comment about her upcoming wedding, Mahbija demanded angrily: 'How did you know about it?' She said she preferred her personal life to remain private. If she actually ties the knot, Zuma would match Zulu King Goodwill Zwelithini, who presently has six wives. Zuma, the father of at least 18 children, has Bongi Ngema from Umlazi lined up for another trip down the aisle.
Zuma's younger brother, Michael Zuma, 59, confirmed that there was a relationship between the ANC president and Ngema, with whom he has a three-year-old son. Over the years, Zuma has relied on the generosity of friends - including ANC stalwart Phyllis Naidoo, who confirmed paying lobolo  9bride price in cattle) for Zuma's first wife, Sizakele and various businessmen supporters like Don Mkhwanazi, Vivian Reddy and Abdul Malek, to pick up the tab for his wedding bills.
Zuma also paid lobolo for Swazi Princess Sebentile Dlamini, 38, the granddaughter of King Sobhuza III, in 2002 but nothing has come out of it. She was reportedly so disappointed at hearing that Zuma had married Mantuli that she had to be taken to hospital to be treated for depression and felt that she was being humiliated in public. The traditionalist Zuma apparently has had to contend with bickering between Mantuli and Mabhija over who should become the first lady should he land the top job. Zuma's son, Michael, said he was unaware of a dispute among Zuma's wives about who should become the first lady. 'There could be a dispute among the women which I’m not aware of but this issue has never been discussed in the family,'he said.

Posted 02/17/2008
A NOTE ON THE ANC
Paul Trewhela

The future of the ANC as a dominant ruling party
There is a great deal of rage in South Africa, both overt and suppressed, and a good deal of this attaches to the record of the African National Congress over its three terms in government since 1994. There has been a certain amount of hope that the ANC would split at a not too distant time in the future, allowing for more 'normal' politics in place of its role as such a dominant single ruling party. Under these circumstances it is helpful to consider the ANC in the most open-minded way possible. (See more here).

Posted 02/17/2008
ZIMBABWEAN ON SUNDAY
The Zimbabwean makes the following announcement:

'We are delighted to announce the launch of The Zimbabwean on Sunday.This will hit the streets in Zimbabwe for the first time on Sunday Feb 17, the third anniversary of the launch of The Zimbabwean. Since 2005, The Zimbabwean has been a voice for the voicless, suffering, people of Zimbabwe - shining a light into the darkness and making a vital stand for Freedom of the Press and of expression. The Zimbabwean 0n Sunday will continue in this noble tradition. We are grateful to our loyal readers and advertisers who have made The Zimbabwean such a runaway success. We hope you will all enjoy The Zimbabwean on Sunday.'
(Wilf Mbanga, Editor. Banned in Zimbabwe, the courageous journalist founded The Zimbabwean in exile in Brighton, and is now embarking on a Sunday edition).

Posted 02/16/2008
ZUMA CAMP SPLIT OVER MOTLANTHE
Matuma Letsoalo
Mail&Guardian 15/2/2008

A bitter factional battle is raging within ANC president Jacob Zuma's camp as party members jostle for top government posts under the new regime. At issue is whether Zuma or ANC deputy president Kgalema Motlanthe should replace Thabo Mbeki as the country's president after 2009. Despite the party's recent pronouncement that Zuma would be the ANC's presidential candidate in next year's national elections, the Mail & Guardian has established that there is little consensus within the Zuma camp. The point of dispute is the country's deputy presidency.'The core Zuma group, led by KwaZulu-Natal finance minister Zweli Mkhize, SACP general secretary Blade Nzimande and some leaders of the ANC Youth League, is already trying hard to block Motlanthe’s appointment as the country’s deputy president under Mbeki. The Motlanthe faction is lobbying for the ANC deputy president to be the organisation's presidential candidate in the national elections. The lobby says that Zuma, who was acquitted of rape charges and now faces corruption charges, is too tainted to be the face of the ANC during the elections. A senior ANC executive committee member sympathetic to Motlanthe told the M&G that the ANC leadership was planning to approach Mbeki with a formal proposal to appoint Motlanthe after the matter had been discussed and agreed by all NEC members during next month’s meeting. However, it appears the Zuma loyalists are now planning to head off the idea of Motlanthe's appointment believe the move would give him an advantage over Zuma.(See more here).

Posted 02/14/2008
INTERPRETING THABO MBEKI

James Myburgh

In his State of the Nation Address on Friday President Thabo Mbeki quoted from the famous opening passage of a Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens which begins: "It was the best of times, it was the worst of times..." Mbeki said that as he was preparing his address "one among us" suggested that these well-known words capture "what he considers the essence of the reality confronting us."

He added that he personally disagreed with the assessment that "we have entered an era of confusion." "Like the rest of our Government" he said, "I am convinced that the fundamentals that have informed our country's forward march in the last 14 years remain in place."

In reality South Africa appears to be in a state of national despondency. There can be few authorities inclined to describe the current period as the "age of wisdom" or - following the recent power outages - the "season of Light." However, if one reads a little further the relevance of the passage to the current situation becomes more apparent.

(Click here to read further ... )

Posted 02/13/2008
DON'T TRUST MBEKI, BLATTER
If Fifa chief Sepp Blatter believes President Thabo Mbeli's assurances that South Africa will create 'the best ever' FIFA Football World Cup tournament in 2010, he is being taken for a ride. Tourism authorities fear the energy crunch, which halted key gold and platinum mines last month, will make South Africa an unsuitable host for the event, but Mbeki says 'I have absolutely no doubt that we will honour our undertaking to FIFA and the world community of soccer players and lovers to create all the necessary conditions for the holding of the best ever FIFA Football World Cup tournament.' Informed observers think the assurances to Blatter are wholly irresponsible. (See more here).

Posted 02/12/2008
WARNING AGAINST POLITICISED MILITARY TRADE UNION
President Thabo Mbeki's State of the Nation address (8/2/2008), if low-key, went off peacefully, but on the previous day the opposition Democratic Alliance (DA) had called upon the Minister of Defence to assure the nation that the integrity and neutrality of the military were not being undermined by the conduct of the South African National Defence Union (SANDU). SANDU allegedly threatened 'chaos' at the opening of Parliament (8/2/2008). SANDU spokesperson Charlton Boer was photographed wearing a T-shirt supporting Jacob Zuma, who has ousted Mbeki as president of the ruling African National Congress. The DA says 'This indicates that the SANDU is not politically neutral. There is a great deal of tension that exists between the SANDU and the military, with a number of court cases, including constitutional court cases, having been instigated by SANDU against the military. While the DA supports fair labour legislation for all, the conduct of the SANDU has become increasingly aggressive and openly hostile towards, not only the MoD, but now also the President [Thabo Mbeki]. SANDU gives the impression that it has allowed itself to become embroiled in party politics. This is a very dangerous situation for a military union to be in, and threatens to undermine the political neutrality of the military as a whole. In the build-up to 2009 [when general elections are held and Mbeki steps down as national president – ed], we cannot afford to have a military union taking political sides and publicly attacking not only the MoD, but also the President. We need to guard carefully against the rise of a politicised military, which historically has been the bane of developing countries'.

Posted 02/12/2008
S.A. CAN HANDLE WORLD SOCCER CUP - MBEKI
Amid (unconfirmed) rumours that the 1910 Fifa World Soccer Cup tournament will be staged in Australia because South Africa cannot handle it, President Thabo Mbeki declares: 'I am aware of the fact that many in our society are troubled by a deep sense of unease about where our country will be tomorrow. I have absolutely no doubt that we will honour our undertaking to Fifa and the world community of soccer players and lovers to create all the necessary conditions for the holding of the best ever Fifa Soccer World Cup tournament'. Mbeki apologised for the scale of the problems caused by the power cuts and said they would be resolved 'in a relatively short period'. The black-outs at one stage stopped production at some of the country's biggest gold and platinum mines. Opposition Democratic Alliance leader Helen Zille, however, says Mbeki has not managed to calm the nerves of the South African nation. Mbeki constitutionally must step down as national President early in 2009, and therefore will no longer be president when the Wold Cup is staged.

Posted 02/11/2008
SOUTH AFRICA'S RICHEST
South Africa's billionaire club is growing fast. With only 21 billionaires last year, the Rich List now boasts 28. This year there are nine new billionaires - on the (Johannesburg) Sunday Times Rich List. Of the top 100 wealthiest on the list, about 20 are black and three are women. The Rich List shows that white men remain by far the wealthiest South Africans. Although the number of people with such wealth is actually much higher, the Sunday Times only included the list of people from publicly available information on JSE-listed investments. Research staff of Who Owns Whom excluded property, cash, offshore investments or money held with fund managers from their calculations. Entrepreneurs, sports stars, holders of patent rights and owners of non-listed companies may be as rich as people on this list, but it is impossible to determine their wealth, or even their identities. South Africa’s old-money families, the Oppenheimers and Ruperts, who have always been considered South Africa's richest families, have been overshadowed by Indian billionaire Lakshmi Mittal, who is officially the richest man in the country. The India-born steel magnate, who tops the list for the third consecutive year, with R27.3-billion, has been included in the list by virtue of his shareholding in steel maker Mittal SA. His wealth represents the value of his investment in S A only. The Rich List, which calculates wealth as at March 31 this year, places Nicky Oppenheimer, chairman of the world’s biggest diamond producer, De Beers, in second position, with a R16-billion shareholding in Anglo American. Patrice Motsepe (mining), who was ranked eighth in 2005, is now the country’s third-richest person with a R13.5-billion fortune in shares alone.(JHB Sunday Times 10/2/2008).[South Africa's unemployment is just under 40 percent and its poverty rating is 60 percent].

Posted 02/11/2008
OPPOSITION CALLS FOR DISSOLUTION OF S.A. PARLIAMENT
The leader of the opposition Democratic Alliance, Helen Zille, has called for the dissolution of the 400-member National Assembly and for fresh elections to be held now instead of in 14 months' time when President Thabo Mbeki is due to step down. This follows Mbeki's ousting as president of the African National Congress (while retaining his position as South Africa's president), and the sweeping changes the triumphant Jacob Zuma camp are making. Writing in her weekly online letter, Zille (who is also the mayor of Cape Town) commented on Mbeki's State of the Nation address on February 8: 'This was business as usual for the president. He gave the speech of a manager, not a leader'. Zille said in putting forward the motion for the dissolution of parliament her party was saying it was time for real accountability, 'not the replacement of one morally bankrupt administration with another'.

Posted 02/11/2008
IS THE CRISIS IN S.A. BEYOND REPAIR?
Stanley Uys

Hermann Giliomee, formerly a professor at both Cape Town and Stellenbosch universities, is one of South Africa's most prominent historians. As such he has delved long and deep into the country's past. But he does not hesitate to look into the future as well, as he has just done in an article which appeared on February 8 in the Afrikaans daily newspapers, Die Burger (Cape Town) and Die Beeld (Johannesburg). We reprinted the article on this website (see below: SA Faces Its Third Great Crisis:02/06/08). Briefly, Giliomee says the first crisis was the 1929 Depression and the second was the race turbulence, tighter sanctions and capital flight in 1985-1990. The third crisis is the present one: the crisis in electricity and water supply, steady collapse of the infrastructure, the acute shortage of skills, one of the highest violent crime rates in the world and rampant corruption to which the government seems to turn a blind eye. Many of these developments are the result of a policy of too rapid 'transformation' and black empowerment. Die Burger reported on 8 February 'an unprecedented wave of inquiries  about emigration mainly from people belonging to ethnic minorities' (whites, coloureds, Indians). For many outside the ranks of the ANC a catalyst has been the ousting of Thabo Mbeki as president of the African National Congress, his replacement by Jacob Zuma, and the crisis in the electricity supply.(See more here).

Posted 02/10/2008
SOUTH AFRICANS WILL NEED BRITISH VISAS
The Johannesburg Sunday Times reports (10/2/2008) that Britain is about to strip South Africa of its visa-free status and charge R1,000 (63 GBP) for a visa).This is because of rampant corruption in the Department of Home Affairs, notorious for its maladministration. South Africans would have to provide fingerprints, 'facial biometrics' and travel documents to get visas. More than 250,000 tourists, business people and family visitors to Britain are said to apply for visas each year. The door is being shut because corrupt Home Affairs officials have been dishing out genuine passports to people smugglers, foreign asylum seekers and allegedly suspected terrorists wanting to enter Britain. British immigration experts say the South African passport is 'no longer worth the paper it's written on'. Last month a British trial heard that at least 6,000 illegal Asian immigrants had been smuggled in on South African passports. SA's Home Affairs concedes there are 'major issues about the integrity and credibility' of South African passports.(See more here).

A diary in a home in Mayfair, Johannesburg, sparked the visa crisis. Seized in a raid by South African detectives on April 4, 2006, the business diary, allegedly belonging to businessman Inayat Patel, 35, contained the names of 89 Indian citizens who had been issued with South African passports by corrupt Home Affairs officials. Patel and five others were arrested in South Africa and about 27 in Britain. English- speaking 'escorts', possibly genuine South African citizens, are said to be paid up to R15,000 to pose as friends of the illegal immigrants and help them through British immigration. Prosecutor Sarah Dillon said the true scale of the operation might never be known as the diary only pinpointed the 89 people. A new report is said to contain details of the discoverty of 10,000 blank South African passports in Britain.

Posted 02/10/2008
THE FALL OF THABO MBEKI
Jan-Jan Joubert
Edited version, address at Harvard University (8/1/2008)

How Mbeki centralised power and lost touch with ANC supporters
The African National Congress, which was founded in Bloemfontein on January 8 1912 , is the oldest liberation movement in Africa and has governed South Africa since the advent of democracy in 1994. It garnered 69% of the vote during the 2004 general election and has since increased its parliamentary majority to 299 seats out of 400 through floor-crossing. It also rules all nine provinces, though it has never achieved overall majorities in two: KwaZulu-Natal and the Western Cape . The ANC rules these two provinces outright only because of floor-crossing. The ANC has always been a battleground between elite interests and the needs of the masses, a tension yet again at play during the party's national conference of December 16-20 in Polokwane. A brief overview of ANC history might help indicate the significance and scope of the defeat President Thabo Mbeki suffered three weeks ago. The events are obviously too recent to present any sort of definitive analysis at this stage, and I will not attempt it. Some observations from my ringside seat might, however, prove helpful, especially if we consider the way Mbeki centralised power and lost touch with the critical mass of ANC supporters, and the importance of a peaceful, democratic transfer of power in a state where one political party is as dominant as the ANC is in South Africa . (For the rest of Jan-Jan Joubert's analysis, see here ).

[Jan-Jan Joubert is chief political reporter of the Afrikaans-language newspaper, Die Burger, published in Cape Town, and is one of South Africa's leading journalists.]

Posted 02/08/2008
NO CHANGE, AS MBEKI DELIVERS STATE OF THE NATION ADDRESS

Brendan Boyle
Sunday Times online (8/2/2008)

Mbeki's Apex Priorities in next-to-last State of the Nation address (They will not exactly cause the nation to tremble with anticipation - ed).

President Thabo Mbeki used his next-to-last State of the Nation address to present 24 'Apex Priorities' for his government in its final months in power. 'Business Unusual,' Mbeki declared to a packed joint sitting of the National Assembly and National Council of Provinces. 'We speak of Business Unusual not referring to any changes in our established policies, but with regard to the speedy, efficient and effective implementation of these policies.' (See more here).

Posted 02/08/2008
'RUSSIANS' AND 'AMERICANS' IN PUBLIC LIFE IN SOUTH AFRICA
Paul Trewhela

Thoughts on the commemoration of Robert Sobukwe

One of the most major leaders of resistance to the apartheid system from fifty years ago - now almost invisible, the outcome of a process of 'deliberate selective remembrance...a concerted effort of a blackout or load shedding,' in the words of the director of the Pan African Foundation, Thami Ka Plaatjie - is being commemorated in South Africa this year on the thirtieth anniversary of his death. (City Press, 2/2/2008) Robert Mangaliso Sobukwe was the first president of the Pan Africanist Congress, which formally broke away from the African National Congress in 1959 and initiated the campaign of pass-burning that culminated in the massacre of 69 African demonstrators at Sharpeville in March 1960. When he completed a prison sentence in 1963, the apartheid regime kept him in total isolation from normal human contact on Robben Island for a further six years, and under severe restrictions until his death in 1978. The Pan African Foundation will host a number of activities in Sobukwe's memory. (See more here).

Posted 02/08/2008
BRAVE RESPONSE TO COMMUNIST PARTY LEADER'S 'APARTHEID-STYLE INTIMIDATION'
Mathatha Tsedu
Editor, City Press, JHB (5/2/2008)

SACP leader Nzimande threatens boycott over City Press news report
We publish below an open letter from Blade Nzimande, the general secretary of the South African Communist Party and member of the African National Congress National Executive Committee. The letter makes a number of accusations against this newspaper and its editorial leadership, alleging we are out to divide the ANC. The statement suggests to the owners of this newspaper, Media24, that the editors be fired. If this is not done, a veiled threat is added that a possible boycott of City Press could be effected. The letter was apparently triggered by last week's lead story on how an angry Jacob Zuma [newly elected president of the ANC, with crucial support from Nzimande and the SACP - ed] had complained about members of his NEC who have been allegedly positioning themselves to lead the ANC, should he be convicted. (See more here)

Posted 02/07/2008
ECONOMIC MELTDOWN IN SOUTH AFRICA
Sunday Times online (7/2/2008)

'More and more obvious SA might be entering recession' as power crisis cuts deep
There is growing concern that South Africa's economy might slide into a recession as the country grapples with an electricity crisis, high interest rates and galloping inflation. Economists told The Times this week (after the release of the Business Confidence Index) that the rate of economic growth could dwindle to between 1 percent and 2 percent this year, if we are lucky, and might even dip into negative territory if the electricity crisis is not resolved. Economist Mike Schussler said: 'There’s even a good chance that we will not grow. It is becoming more and more obvious that we might be entering a recession.' Schussler said the power cuts had 'knocked the stuffing' out of the manufacturing and mining sectors for January and part of February. He had revised his growth forecast down to 2.6 percent. 'But if this [the power crisis] continues, I will have to lower that as well,' he said. (See more here).

Posted 02/07/2008
ARMS DEAL: D.A. RATTLES THE SKELETONS IN ANC'S CLOSET
Mail&Guardian (6/2/2008 )

Parliament to reopen Public Accounts investigation into Government corruption
The Democratic Alliance has lauded the decision by Themba Godi, the chairperson of Parliament's Standing Committee on Public Accounts (Scopa), to place the DA's request for Scopa to reopen the arms-deal probe on the agenda...
Former ANC MP and Scopa member Andrew Feinstein had made a number of serious allegations of cover-ups and corruption related to the arms deal in his recently published book, After the Party. A Personal and Political Journey inside the ANC (Jonathan Ball, Johannesburg, 2007). [See ‘Book Review. Andrew Feinstein: The Case against Mbeki (8 January 2008)']. To date, none of the allegations has been denied or refuted...criminal investigations relating to allegations of corruption associated with the arms deal have now been launched in the UK, Germany, Sweden and Switzerland. [See earlier Mail&Guardian report below].

...........................

'S.A. MINISTERS AND ANC GOT MILLIONS': GERMAN PROSECUTORS
Evelyn Groenink, Sam Sole and Stefaans Brummer
Mail&Guardian (14/2/2007).
(See entire article here)

Posted 02/06/2008
MBEKI TO BE 'SNUBBED' AT OPENING OF PARLIAMENT
Ndivuho Mafela
Sunday Times online (2/2/2008)

Zuma supporters cut back on President's State of the Nation address
Parliament has cut back on plans for President Thabo Mbeki's State of the Nation address on Friday in the latest power-play by Jacob Zuma’s new ANC leadership. Speaker of the Assembly Baleka Mbete, who is also the new ANC chairman and head of the party's Political Committee at Parliament, has postponed the presentation of the legislature’s theme for the year and will present it at a separate function some days after Mbeki's address. On previous occasions Mbeki had walked past banners inscribed with a theme on his way to Parliament’s main chamber. This time the banners will be absent. MPs who have been briefed on the arrangements said the traditional lunch for Cabinet ministers, MPs and important guests immediately after the President's speech had been dropped. Instead, Speaker Mbete will host a massive A-list banquet at the Cape Town Convention Centre in the evening. (See more here).

Posted 02/06/2008
SOUTH AFRICA FACES ITS THIRD GREAT CRISIS

Hermann Giliomee

With its strategic mining industry, which is dependent on cheap power and labour, its long distance from export markets and its inherent political instability, South Africa is a place where crises always wait just around the corner. Nevertheless, over the past three-quarters of a century, the country experienced only three real crises. First was the Depression of 1929-33, and then the crisis of 1985-1990 inflamed by P.W. Botha's Rubicon speech. Now we sit with a crisis around the infrastructure, skills and crime. (See entire article here).
.......................

POWER CRISIS 'COULD TRIGGER RECESSION' - S.A. BUSINESS FORUM
Sunday Times online (6/2/2008 )

Annual economic growth could drop to 1 or 2 percent
There is a 'very real' risk that South Africa could face an economic recession as a result of the current electricity crisis, the SA Chamber of Commerce and Industry said today. 'We have already been going through an economic slowdown, [the electricity crisis] could push us into a recession,' Sacci economist Richard Downing said. He said annual economic growth could slow down to as little as one or two percent. 'It is apparent that the shortage of electricity does pose a severe threat to the production capacity of goods and services, since critical production time is lost due to electricity power shortages during working hours. Even if the loss in output could be limited to five percent to ten percent of gross domestic product, it will be difficult to attain any growth in the economy in 2008,' Downing added. He said the effects of the electricity crisis had not been fully captured in the current Business Confidence Index (BCI) for January 2008. These effects would only be noticeable in the next three to four months. The BCI for January 2008 released by Sacci today measured 93.8, after it declined to 94.8 in December 2007.

Posted 02/06/2008
VISAS FOR UK?
In a statement today, Tony Leon, former leader of the opposition Democratic Alliance, calls for caution before Britain enforces visas on South Africans visiting the UK. Evidence submitted to the British House of Commons Home Affairs select committee indicates that South Africans may in the near future be required to obtain visas to visit Britain. Leon says: 'Such a move will have a serious effect on business and travel links between our countries and create barriers to entry which are without precedent in terms of the travel regime which has stood since the time of Union in 1910. In light of the potential negative implications of this situation, I have written to Britain’s High Commissioner to South Africa, Paul Boateng, to emphasise the need for caution from the British authorities before they consider enforcing such a regime. Equally, it is clear that the (South African)  Ministers of Home Affairs and Intelligence must ensure that they resolve problems in their departments, to remove any perception that our country is a safe haven for international terrorists and criminals. British authorities have been urged to overhaul immigration rules that allow South African passport holders to enter Britain without a visa and stay for six months. British security services, including the Serious Organised Crime Agency (SOCA), intelligence services and anti-terrorist police have argued that this loophole is being exploited by terrorists with links to al-Qaeda and also by illegal immigrants. British intelligence services have already shut down an Al-Qaeda cell, members of which had been allegedly travelling to terrorist camps in Pakistan via South Africa. South Africa has also been linked by British authorities to people-smuggling, in which people were smuggled from India to South Africa, where they attained forged South African passports before being transported to London.

 

Posted 02/06/2008
ANC AT WAR IN MANDELA'S UNIVERSITY TOWN
Xolani Xundu
Sunday Times online ( 6/2/2008 )

Rival ANC factions club opponents in Alice, seat of Fort Hare University

ANC councillor Neliswa Nombombo is recovering from head injuries sustained in a fight between the supporters of President Thabo Mbeki and of ANC leader Jacob Zuma in Alice at the weekend. Alice is a dusty town at the foot of the Amathole Mountains . The roads have potholes that can pass for fish ponds. The town's biggest employer, the University of Fort Hare, is slowly emigrating to East London , faculty by faculty. When someone finally locks the gate of Fort Hare's Alice campus, leaving behind the red face-brick buildings that have become synonymous with African academic excellence, the Nkonkobe municipality will have a major crisis on its hands - mass unemployment. (See more here).

Posted 02/05/2008
SOWETAN POLL: DON'T DISBAND THE SCORPIONS
The Sowetan online (5/2/2008)

Readers vote 4:1 for ANC government not to break up crime-busters

Don’t disband the Scorpions. That was the message from more than two-thirds of Sowetan online users who answered a poll on the website about the ANC's decision to put an end to the investigative body. More than 10,000 users registered their vote on the site with a whopping 79.64% saying they did not think the Scorpions should be disbanded. This was in reaction by a decision by the newly elected ANC leadership to disband the combined prosecuting and policing body within the next six moths. The Scorpions would then be absorbed into the South African Police Service. Only 20.36% of the 10,535 people who voted agreed with the ruling party's decision. Since its inception (under President Thabo Mbeki's regime), the Scorpions’ investigations have led to the prosecution of many high profile figures, including recent cases against ANC president Jacob Zuma and National Police Commissioner Jackie Selebi. Jacob Zuma, now ANC president, blames the Scorpions for 'persecuting' him on corruption charges (the first trial against him collapsed, but the state says it will resume the trial in August). The Scorpions were also involved in Zuma's prosecution for rape in 2005, but that trial, too, collapsed.

BUSTING THE CRIME-BUSTERS: A BOON FOR THE CRIMINAL IN S.A.
Sunday Times online (5/2/2008 )

The Scorpions are the country's last effective corruption busting unit and disbanding them will impact on fighting organised crime, the (opposition) Democratic Alliance has stated. 'Every time special units were integrated [into the police], it has impacted on the ability to fight crime in that area,' said the party’s spokesman on Justice, Tertius Delport. The DA says the Scorpions should maintain their independence from the police. The advantage of the unit, officially called the Directorate of Special Operations (DSO), was that it combined intelligence gathering, criminal investigation and prosecution. 'This powerful combination of skills and expertise led by a qualified and experienced prosecutor means that the DSO is able to conduct investigations that are solid and will stand up in court,' said Delport.

The unit had a conviction rate of between 82 and 94 percent since 2002. The number of people it had arrested went up from 66 in 2002 to 617 in 2006. It finalised 180 prosecutions in 2002, 214 in 2006. Some of its successes included being the first in South Africa to convict financial directors of fraud and notch up convictions for money laundering and racketeering. The DSO had been involved in the fraud cases against Durban businessman Schabir Shaik [financial 'adviser' to ANC president Jacob Zuma, and now serving 15 years in prison - ed] and former ANC chief whip Tony Yengeni [elected to the ANC’s National Executive Committee last December following a court sentence of four years’ imprisonment, and then appointed by the NEC to its National Working Committee, which oversees parliamentary business – ed] and had been responsible for arresting Glenn Agliotti, following the murder of mining magnate Brett Kebble. [Agliotti has provided crucial information to the police about his friend, Selebi, whom Agliotti showered with gifts and money. – ed].

Delport said:‘The reasons for disbanding are not based on facts and have not been advanced in order to combat crime or improve the combating of crime... but serve the interests of individuals in elite circles of the ANC.' The DA's Len Joubert questioned the urgency of the ANC's efforts to disband the Scorpions, saying it would knock other matters off the Justice Committee's already full agenda. It intended completing the process by June. 'The draft Child Justice Bill will now have to be sacrificed for this, which is not nearly as urgent as it seems to be.'

Posted 02/05/2008
POLITICAL VIGILANTISM
Mohau Pheko
Sunday Times online ( 2/2/2008 )

Freedom of speech and association protected by SA Bill of Rights

Edmund Burke says 'all that is necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men and women to do nothing and say nothing'. One of the great indicators of democracy in a society is the vision of its radicals and the accessibility of its eccentrics. Equally critical is the tolerance and understanding that our society should show to its dissenters. Dissent and disagreement with ruling parties is necessary for the consolidation of democracy. Dissent presupposes that there are necessary oppositions to power that need to be freely expressed, even if they are perceived as being that of a minority opinion. They are the essence of human freedom. (See more here).

[Ms Mohau Pheko is Coordinator of the African Gender and Trade Network. Based in South Africa, GENTA delivers economic and social research to parliamentarians, women's organizations and civil servants. As an independent political economist she has advised governments, corporations and international aid programmes. Ms Pheko holds a Master's degree from the College of New York Medicine, worked in medicine in the United States and is an Expert Group Member of both the United States-Africa Business Committee and the United Nations Economic and Social Council. Between 1996 and 1998 she was Chief Executive Officer of the Women’s National Coalition in South Africa.]

Posted 02/05/2008
TO THE BRINK: STATE OF DEMOCRACY IN S.A.
Xolela Mangcu
Sunday Times online (2/2/2008)

Less than a decade for the ANC to betray Mandela's promise
How time flies! It seems like only yesterday that former President Nelson Mandela stood at attention, ready to be sworn in as the first President of a democratic South Africa . Almost every leading statesman and woman was here to witness the event for themselves. All over the world, people were glued to their television screens in virtual communion with South Africa as we celebrated one of the greatest political moments of the 20th century - the birth of a new country under the leadership of the most loved political leader in the world. At academic conferences and seminars, at dinner parties, at musical and cultural events, the mere mention of South Africa captured people’s interest. The conversations would turn on the miracle unfolding in SA. Even though I knew that our achievement was not a miracle, I enjoyed the voyeurism of it all. Mandela governed with the assistance of FW de Klerk and the younger, princely Thabo Mbeki. Mandela had wanted Cyril Ramaphosa to succeed him as president, but Mbeki had been groomed from exile for this moment. Mbeki was to be to Mandela what Nehru had been to Gandhi or what Jefferson had been to Washington : a worthy successor - or so we thought. Then, with remarkable rapidity, things began to take a turn for the worse. It took the African National Congress less than a decade to betray Mandela’s promise. (See more here).

Posted 02/04/2008
ANC PARTY/STATE BID TO MUZZLE SUNDAY TIMES?
Xolile Bhengu
Sunday Times online (4/2/2008 )

Editors fear papers could become government propaganda organs
The South African National Editors Forum has raised concerns about a R5-billion bid by government officials for the company that owns The Times and the Sunday Times. Koni Media Holdings wants an 'outright purchase' of Avusa, Business Times reported. Raymond Louw, chairman of Sanef's Media Freedom Committee, said he was not convinced that Koni was motivated entirely by business interests. 'This is deeply alarming, as the company [Koni] is composed of prominent civil servants, and this may be an attempt to bring their own opinions to the Sunday Times,' he said. (See more here).

Posted 02/03/2008
REPORT: SA EDUCATION IN CRISIS
Mail&Guardian
3/2/2008

South African education is in crisis mode, according to a Finweek report published this week. The report reveals not only a shocking skills shortage 13 years into post-apartheid South Africa, but also a fundamental crisis in an education system sorely lacking resources to equip a nation adequately for future growth. The report points to the failure of the education system to face up to the challenges of global competition in the 21st century. 'We are probably talking about an effort -- assuming for argument's sake we get the education system functioning optimally now -- lasting an entire generation before we see the results of a well-educated society working its way through the labour market and economy', said Stellenbosch economist Servaas van den Berg. During the past two years, the South African education system ejected 535,000 people from school without any passing certificate and a very uncertain future. These school leavers will join the ranks of the unemployed, says Finweek. At this time, citizens between the ages of 20 and 24 represent 14% of the labour force, but are already over-represented among the unemployed, accounting for roughly 27%. In 1999 only half of the country's maths and science teachers had tertiary qualifications in these subjects. And South Africa is losing skilled professionals to other countries that recruit in South Africa. Little is being done to train a next generation of engineers, scientists and other professionals. (Click here for more).

Posted 02/03/2008
ZUMA BLOCKS SACKING OF PROVINCIAL PREMIERS
Moffet Mofokeng, Sabelo Ndlangisa and Caiphus Kgosana
CITY PRESS.02/02/2008

ANC president Jacob Zuma is fighting a rearguard action against party provincial structures which are demanding that premiers allied to President Thabo Mbeki be ousted immediately.This week the top ANC structure, including Zuma, fanned out throughout the country, calling for calm and emphasising that premiers would not be changed until next year when they had served their full terms. Provinces where provincial executive committee (PEC) members allied to Zuma are calling for the ousting of premiers include the Western Cape, Free State, Limpopo, Eastern Cape and North West.
The assurances by the ANC leadership come amid indications that directors-general and other senior civil servants in the national government have also been assured that their jobs will not be affected by the change of guard next year. The clamour for the removal of premiers is linked to the jostling for positions before the party's list conference process which will indicate who will occupy public positions after next year’s elections. If the premiers are removed, those who replace them will have a headstart in the run-up to 2009.

Posted 02/03/2008
AFRICA NEEDS A REVOLUTION TO END THE GOVERNANCE OF 'BIG MEN'
Mondli Makhanya
Sunday Times ( 3/2/2008 )

Half a century of anti-democratic rule in Africa

This weekend the presidential jets and commandeered national aircraft took turns taxiing down the runway at Addis Ababa airport. Africa's leaders were going home after yet another festive jamboree. One can bet that when they get home, after having pledged to do good things for Africa's people, they will go back to their bad old ways. They will beat up opponents, jail civil society activists, harass journalists and do everything to subvert democratic values. Each one of them will do so knowing full well that elsewhere on the continent their counterparts are doing exactly the same thing. That the show in Addis Ababa was just that: a chance to display their jets, size of entourage, Savile Row suits and taste in fine wines. The ritual has been going on for over 50 years, ever since the formation of the Organisation of African Unity. For half a century the mighty men of our continent have hopped from capital to capital, speaking lofty words and signing thick documents they had not read. (See entire editorial here).

Posted 02/03/2008
FEAR GRIPS ANC OFFICE-HOLDERS AS THE PURGE BEGINS
Sunday Times (3/2/2008 )

Loyalty tests in the corridors of power as ANC factioneering takes effect
Fear stalks the corridors of ANC power as new president Jacob Zuma asserts his authority in Parliament, provinces and party structures. Top ANC leaders were told this week that many party members feared being axed from government positions because of their perceived loyalty to outgoing President Thabo Mbeki, who was ousted from the party leadership in December. ANC MPs conveyed their anxiety to ANC deputy president Kgalema Motlanthe, deputy secretary-general Thandi Modise and national chairman Baleka Mbete in a closed lekgotla (assembly) of the ANC’s parliamentary caucus on Thursday. (See more here).

Posted 02/02/2008
S.A. POLICE CHIEF CHARGED WITH CORRUPTION
South Africa's National Police Commissioner Jackie Selebi was charged on February 1 on three counts of corruption and one of defeating the ends of justice. He also faces an alternate charge of receiving an unauthorised gratification 'by a person who is party to an employment relationship'. Selebi was not asked to plead, and the charges were not formally put to him, but his lawyer said he intended pleading not guilty after the case resumes on June 26. Last month Selebi was placed on special leave and resigned as head of Interpol when news of the charges broke.(See more here).

Posted 02/02/2008
BLACK LEADER CALLS FOR NATIONAL CONVENTION
Sunday Times online (2/2/2008)

Delivery to citizens worsens in 'incredibly politicised' civil service
The factions within the African National Congress are bringing the entire country into disrepute and causing uncertainty to investors, said United Democratic Movement leader Bantu Holomisa today. 'The so-called new NEC (National Executive Committee) of the ANC is threatening to remove those who resist them, but they have not been clear about what exactly this "resistance" is. In the process they are bringing the entire country into disrepute and causing dangerous uncertainty in the minds of investors'. Holomisa said the signs of a purge were already visible and would affect service delivery because the civil service under the ANC had become 'incredibly politicised'.

National Convention on economy, crime, corruption...
Holomisa said the UDM had identified that there was an urgent need for a national debate and consensus on several matters. This is why they had proposed to sponsor a National Convention to operate outside the confines of party politics. The convention would deal with the economy, crime and corruption, threats to the judiciary, education, the role of the SA Broadcasting Corporation, and social cohesion, including racism, tribalism and xenophobia. 'The lack of service delivery has been occasioned in many areas by the infighting in the ruling party. How long must the nation wait for this disease in the ruling party to heal itself? What if it is forever'?. There was a need for a convention to review South Africa's progress since 1994 and to chart the way forward. 'As South Africans we cannot simply fold our arms and watch our country going down the drain. We are told the economy is doing well, but out in the streets we see so much suffering.' Holomisa said false promises made about service delivery by the ruling party for the past 14 years were 'propaganda'. 'The ANC government style is not different from the apartheid regime's approach when it comes to propaganda'.

Posted 02/02/2008
SOMETHING'S GOT TO GIVE
James Myburgh
30/1/2008

At some point the ANC's hold upon its support is going to break. It is just a matter of when. It could be in a month, a year, or a decade. (For entire report see here).

Posted 02/02/2008
ESKOM: THE REAL CAUSE OF THE CRISIS
James Myburgh
1/2/2008

Since 1997 the ANC government has used various methods to fend-off criticism. These have run from attacking motive to bullying, obfuscation, bullshitting, lying, and outright denial. Over time civil society and media became inured to these tactics. So it was something of a welcome surprise when senior government officials - including the president and his deputy - started admitting responsibility for South Africa's energy shortages. The basic line pushed by President Thabo Mbeki (and others) was that government underestimated the likely rate of economic growth and wrongly ignored Eskom's warnings that it needed to start building new capacity. For this they were very sorry. These apologies have not silenced criticism, but they have been very effective in drawing attention away from where it should have been focused...In June 2002 [Thulani] Gcabashe [appointed CEO in 2000] approved a corporate directive on procurement from black suppliers. This established a "Hierarchy of Procurement" which had to be followed in "sourcing products and services." Although existing agreements were to be respected, for any further purchases drawn from outside the company Eskom was required to go first to "Black Women-owned Suppliers," then "Small Black Suppliers," then "Large Black Suppliers," then "Black Empowering Suppliers." Only once these options had been exhausted could "other" South African suppliers be considered. (See entire article here).

Posted 02/02/2008
LEGALISE PROSTITUTION? ANC MP's APOLOGY
An African National Congress (ANC) MP has apologised to women for his comments that prostitution should be legalised ahead of the 2010 Soccer World Cup. 'I wish to submit my profound and unreserved apology to all women of South Africa for the manner in which these comments in the portfolio committee were attributed,' said George Lekgetho in a statement. 'I would like to state that I had not in any way intended to offend or undermine the dignity of women of this country.' It was not clear from the statement whether Lekgetho was still supporting the legalisation of prostitution. Asked for clarification, a spokesman for the party's parliamentary caucus, Moloto Mothapo, said the MP was simply 'revising the contrast in which the statement was reported'. The manner in which Lekgetho had coined his statement was regrettable, said Mothapo. Lekgetho had told a meeting of the portfolio committee on arts and cultu