WEEKLY POLITICAL & SOCIAL NEWS (SEPTEMBER 14th - SEPTEMBER 18

WEEKLY POLITICAL & SOCIAL NEWS (SEPTEMBER 14

- SEPTEMBER 18

)

EMBASSY OF THE REPUBLIC OF KOREA PRETORIA, SOUTH AFRICA

Politics

ANC in Eastern Cape elects new provincial chairperson

Presidential hotline launched this week

Another judge withdraws from JSC interviews – Constitutional Court vacancies

Gauteng ANC give party’s ‘top 6’ their full support

President Zuma’s lawyers fight off fresh charges

DA leader criticizes abuse of race for political gain

’SA has become more democratic’ – Matthews Phosa

Political parties welcome nominee for next Public Protector

Police have to get tough on crime – President Zuma

Foreign Relations

International Relations Minister pays working visit to Sudan

Irish delegation seeks business opportunities in South Africa

Deputy International Relations Minister to co-chair SA-China Strategic Dialogue Forum

Crime

Pretoria teenager to appear in court for shooting teacher

South African Paralympic star faces assault charge

Drug syndicate bust in Durban

Six gunmen killed in foiled cash-in-transit heist outside Pretoria

Minister of Police pledges to reduce crime

25-member gang robs another Johannesburg shopping mall

Other Social Issues

SACTWU strike set to go ahead this week

Warning of second swine flu wave in South Africa

Ministry of Defence wants soldiers’ dismissals wrapped up soon

Police monitor student protest at Wits University

Protest action at Wits University suspended

Neighbouring Countries

Malagasy opposition supporters dispersed

Malagasy PM warns country could split over crisis

POLITICS

ANC in Eastern Cape elects new provincial chairperson

Eastern Cape Health MEC (Member of an Executive Council – a provincial cabinet minister) and National Treasurer of the South African Communist Party (SACP), Phumulo Masualle has been elected as provincial chairperson of the African National Congress (ANC) at the ruling party's elective conference in East London, Eastern Cape Province.

At last weekend’s elective conference, Mr Masualle contested the provincial hot seat with Economic Development MEC, Mcebisi Jonas in a race that had been described as evidence of the apparent rift in the provincial tripartite alliance (consisting of the ANC, SACP and Congress of South African Trade Unions). Mr Masualle received 1 031 votes while Mr Jonas got 930 votes. Addressing journalists after the conference, Mr Masualle said he was humbled by the confidence entrusted in him by the delegates and said his first step was to unify the ANC in the province ahead of the 2011 local government elections. The conference also elected former Youth League member, Oscar Mabuyane as provincial secretary while Eastern Cape Rural Development and Land Affairs Minister, Gugile Kwinti was elected as provincial deputy chairperson.

Presidential hotline launched this week

A Presidential hotline, as announced by President Jacob Zuma in his election campaign and State of the Nation Address, will start operating on Monday this week. The Presidency said in a statement issued last Sunday, “Public liaison officers in the Union Buildings call centre will start handling calls and responding to public inquiries from 9am tomorrow (Monday). The next few weeks will be spent perfecting the service and ensuring that all technical and operating aspects work efficiently.”

The toll-free hotline (17737) will be manned by 43 liaison staff in the Presidency. The liaison staff will have the responsibility of following up on public enquiries and complaints lodged and ensuring that they are attended to efficiently. The provinces are expected to establish similar services and to create a forum that includes liaison officers for each municipality so that the service is taken to local government level, including rural municipalities and districts.

The aim of the Presidential hotline is to encourage an all-round improvement in citizen care and liaison and to introduce a culture of putting the citizen first in all government departments as well as municipalities. This is part of the President's directive to create an interactive, accessible and responsive government.

Another judge withdraws from JSC interviews – Constitutional Court vacancies

A third candidate to fill vacancies on the Constitutional Court bench has withdrawn. Judge Shehnaz Meer of the Western Cape High Court and Land Claims Court is the third candidate to withdraw after Supreme Court of Appeal Judges Belinda van Heerden and Robert Nugent.

Judge Meer’s withdrawal comes amid talk of a loss of confidence in the Judicial Service Commission (JSC - a parastatal watchdog agency which advises the national government on any matter relating to the judiciary or the administration of justice), which is conducting the interviews, especially after it decided three weeks ago not to hold a formal inquiry into the dispute between Western Cape Judge President John Hlophe and Constitutional Court judges.

The JSC has confirmed that Judge Meer has withdrawn her candidature but says she did not give reasons.

Former Constitutional Court Judge Johann Kriegler says the JSC interviews are “impaired” because of the JSC's recent decision in the Judge Hlophe dispute. Judge Kriegler, who is challenging the decision on Judge Hlophe in court, says he was approached by five candidates who wanted to withdraw from applying for vacancies in the Constitutional Court. He managed to persuade four of them to stay in the race, but could not persuade Judge Nugent, who had told Judge Kriegler that he was “not prepared to submit his candidacy to the deliberations of people he does not trust.” Judge Van Heerden withdrew her candidature before the JSC's decision in the Judge Hlophe matter. It is said that the four positions at the Constitutional Court, due to fall vacant in October, will be the most significant appointments since its establishment.

Gauteng ANC give party’s ‘top 6’ their full support

The ANC Gauteng Provincial Secretary, David Makhura has warned party structures that any preoccupation with leadership discussions for conferences that are still far away could derail the ruling party’s and the government's programmes.

Mr Makhura was reacting to reports that the ANC Youth League (ANCYL) is lobbying to have ANC Secretary-General, Gwede Mantashe replaced by Deputy Minister of Police, Fikile Mbalula at the ruling party's next national conference in December 2012. There have also been reports that a number of ANC personalities are working behind the scenes for radical changes in the membership of the ANC's “Top 6”. Mr Makhura says the ANC in Gauteng will continue to offer its full and qualified support to the ANC’s top six leaders, namely: President Jacob Zuma, Deputy President Kgalema Motlanthe, National Chairwoman Baleka Mbete, Secretary-General Gwede Mantashe, Deputy Secretary-General Thandi Modise and Treasurer-General Matthews Phosa.

Mr Makhura says a meeting of ANC leaders in Gauteng this week called on party organizations in the province not to enter the row over whether Mr Mbalula should replace Mr Mantashe. Mr Makhura says the ruling party can only review their performance at the next national conference in 2012. Mr Makhura says party organizations should focus their energies on tackling service-delivery problems that have led to protests in recent months. He says that in- fighting in the ANC draws attention away from community issues.

The ruling party suffered a surprise defeat at the hands of the opposition Congress of the People (COPE) in a recent by-election (an election held between official general or local elections to fill a vacant seat) in Tembisa (a large Black township on Johannesburg’s East Rand). Mr Makhura says the ANC’s provincial leadership will in future be responsible for the selection of party candidates at ward level (electoral districts within towns and cities during local elections). In-fighting and the choice of an unpopular candidate are cited as some of the reasons why the ANC lost this by-election. Many ANC supporters are also believed to have stayed away from the election stations.

President Zuma’s lawyers fight off fresh charges

President Jacob Zuma’s lawyers have told the North Gauteng (Pretoria) High Court that South African Presidents cannot face criminal charges while they are in office but the Constitution states everyone is equal before the law.

This week, President Zuma’s lawyers submitted papers in response to the Democratic Alliance’s (DA) application for a judicial review of the National Prosecuting Authority’s (NPA) decision to withdraw the corruption charges against President Zuma.

In his papers, President Zuma’s lawyer, Michael Hulley says he has been advised that the President cannot be criminally charged or prosecuted unless he is impeached or his term in office comes to an end. However, Section 9 of the Constitution claims that everyone is equal before the law and has the right to equal protection and benefit of the law. Mr Hulley says the DA did not have the right to bring the application because it had not been directly affected by the NPA decision to drop charges against President Zuma on 6 April this year.

DA leader criticizes abuse of race for political gain

Democratic Alliance (DA) leader Ms Helen Zille says the abuse of race for political purposes and the attitude towards the Constitution are two issues that will persist in any future contact between the DA and the ruling African National Congress (ANC). Ms Zille commented after her talks with President Jacob Zuma at Tuynhuis (The President’s Office in Cape Town) on Wednesday.

Ms Zille says, “We have noticed that very strongly in South African now that every time somebody has got no argument, they simply resort to race and then try to end the argument in that way. It is very dangerous for a country in our context to be playing that card and that was another issue that President Zuma and I agreed on, that the playing of the race card is a very dangerous thing in South Africa.”

After her 2-hour meeting with President Zuma, Ms Zille revealed that the President has no current plans to do away with the provinces. Ms Zille says, “On the future of the provinces, President Zuma says there is no idea at present to scrap the provinces or to take away powers of the provinces.”

Ms Zille says she requested Wednesday’s meeting, which dealt with national political matters, as well as issues pertaining to the Western Cape, of which she is Premier. Ms Zille has described President Zuma as more accessible than his predecessor, Thabo Mbeki. Ms Zille described their meeting as friendly, saying “In terms of availability, there is a great improvement. If I phone President Zuma’s office, I do get appointments.”

’SA has become more democratic’ – Matthews Phosa

This weekend marks one year since former President Thabo Mbeki was recalled from office. ANC Treasurer-General Matthews Phosa says South Africa has become more open and democratic in the last 12 months. President Mbeki was asked to resign by the ANC in September 2008 after Judge Chris Nicholson found that he may have interfered with the prosecution of President Jacob Zuma (who was then ANC President and not yet country President).

Mr Phosa says progress has been made but more needs to be done to allow people to debate openly. He says there are still some tendencies that need to be dealt with in terms of how South Africans relate to one another. Speaking earlier this week, Higher Education Minister and South African Communist Party General-Secretary, Dr Blade Nzimande looked back on what happened one year ago, commenting “Remember very well some of the people, when President Mbeki was recalled, spoke of the possibility of a civil war and all sorts of threats but now there is hardly any nostalgia around that event.”

Political parties welcome nominee for next Public Protector

The Democratic Alliance (DA) has urged the frontrunner in the race for the Public Protector’s job to steer clear of any political favouritism. Relatively unknown South African Law Reform Commission member, Advocate Thulisile Madonsela is tipped to be the next in line for the job after all political parties represented on the ad hoc committee unanimously agreed on her recommendation.

All nominations will be considered by the National Assembly next week. The DA expressed concern about the Public Protector’s credibility being tainted by political meddling in the past. However, the DA believes that Advocate Madonsela will not buckle and says, “The one good thing about Ms Thuli Madonsela is that she is not affiliated to any political party and I think that that will just be to her benefit and to the benefit of South Africans in general.”

Police have to get tough on crime – President Zuma

President Jacob Zuma says at times police have no choice but to use lethal force in a bid to defend themselves and those they protect. The President says that government will continue to take the fight against crime seriously.

Briefing journalists at Parliament in Cape Town on Thursday, President Zuma touched on several key issues including crime, commenting “It is the duty of the police to protect all people against injury or loss of life.”

President Zuma admits that the police will have to get tough if they want to make headway in the fight against crime in the country and says criminals have to be held accountable. The President says, “We have instructed our law enforcement agencies to deal harshly with any member of our society who breaks the law.”

President Zuma says the current impasse between disgruntled soldiers and government could compromise the country’s security if not dealt with. The President has described the newly launched Presidential Hotline as a step in the right direction.

FOREIGN RELATIONS

International Relations Minister pays working visit to Sudan

South Africa’s International Relations and Co-operation Minister, Ms Maite Nkoana-Mashabane, accompanied by the Minister for Performance, Monitoring and Evaluation in the Presidency, Collin Chabane and senior government officials, will undertake a working visit to Khartoum and Juba in Sudan from 15-17 September.

During her visit, Minister Nkoana-Mashabane will hold discussions with her Sudanese counterpart on Post Conflict Reconstruction and Development (PCRD), the conflict in Darfur, the 2010 election and other matters related to the implementation of the Sudan Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA). Minister Nkoana-Mashabane actively participated in the High-Level Conference on the role of the international community in the implementation of the Sudan Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA) Conference on Sudan organized by the USA in June 2009.

This week’s visit takes place against the backdrop of the solid bilateral relations between South Africa and Sudan, as symbolized by various projects at various levels of government. These projects include the capacitating of the Government of Southern Sudan (GOSS) officials in the context of the Capacity and Institution Building Project for Southern Sudan. South Africa has also deployed troops and civilian police in Darfur as part of the United Nations African Union Mission in Darfur (UNAMID). The Darfur conflict was the main focus of the Special Session of the Assembly of the African Union (AU) in Libya on 31 August 2009 with the theme, “Consideration and Resolution of Conflicts in Africa”. The African Union High-level Panel on Darfur (AUPD), led by former South African President Thabo Mbeki, has been in consultation with various stakeholders from all sections of Darfur’s society in an effort to find a comprehensive and lasting solution to the conflict in Darfur. The Panel is expected to hand over its report to the AU during September 2009.

Irish delegation seeks business opportunities in South Africa

Two dozen Irish companies, led by Dublin’s Minister of Trade, Billy Kelleher, are on a 3-day trade mission to South Africa this week. The trade delegation will concentrate on telecommunications and software. The current global economic crisis has forced Ireland to redouble its efforts to build markets abroad.

The Irish Trade Minister said his country exports 90% of what it produces and has become the world’s third largest source of software. Although Minister Kelleher will return to Ireland on Tuesday this week, some of the other businessmen will continue dealing with existing and new South African clients in Gauteng, KwaZulu-Natal and the Western Cape. They regard South Africa as the gateway to the African market. The Irish trade delegation has also been pitching for business around the 2010 FIFA World Cup tournament in South Africa.

Deputy International Relations Minister to co-chair SA-China Strategic Dialogue Forum

On Thursday this week, South Africa’s Deputy International Relations and Co-operation Minister, Ebrahim Ebrahim will co-chair the South Africa-China Strategic Dialogue Forum with his counterpart from the People’s Republic of China, Assistant Minister Zhai Jun in Pretoria.

The South Africa-China Strategic Dialogue Forum is an annual consultation between the Republic of South Africa (RSA) and the Peoples Republic of China (PRC) and it takes place against the backdrop of solid bilateral and trade relations between the two countries. Accordingly this year’s session of the Forum will examine ways to further build on this solid foundation by focusing, among others, on: *Reviewing bilateral relations; *African Issues and China’s policy towards Africa; *Multilateral co-operation and international developments.

The South African-China Strategic Dialogue Forum was launched on 7 January 2008 and it offers the two countries an opportunity to discuss bilateral economic and political co-operations and multilateral matters. The Dialogue also allows for the two countries to discuss the status of structured bilateral engagements, such as the SA-China Bi- National Commission as well as forthcoming Ministerial and Presidential visits. Since the launch of the Dialogue Forum in January 2008, there have been three further meetings between the Ministers of Foreign Affairs. In addition to these meetings, the inaugural meeting of the Strategic Dialogue Mechanism was also held on 23 April 2008 in Beijing. This week’s meeting will be the second meeting of the Mechanism, hosted by South Africa for the first time.

CRIME

Pretoria teenager to appear in court for shooting teacher

A 14-year-old Lotus Gardens (a working class suburb in Pretoria West) boy will appear in the Pretoria Magistrates Court this week for shooting his teacher. Last Friday, the Grade 7 pupil at Lotus Gardens Primary School allegedly took a 9mm CZ pistol from his school bag and shot his mathematics teacher in the arm just before the school day ended.

It is believed the boy sought revenge after the teacher caned him for allegedly stealing a mathematics set from a fellow pupil. The boy will face a charge of attempted murder. Mr Nagesh Chetty, chairperson of the Pretoria West community policing forum, says the boy has been a problem for some time. Mr Chetty says the teacher is really sad and shocked by what has happened and cries a lot and does not want to talk to anybody or his family.

South African Paralympic star faces assault charge

Last weekend, South Africa’s double amputee Paralympics gold medalist, Oscar Pistorius spent the night behind bars for allegedly assaulting a woman who attended a gathering at his house in the Silverlakes Estate, east of Pretoria.

The 22-year old South African athlete was arrested last Saturday evening after a 19-year old woman opened an assault case against him.

The woman was allegedly fighting with her boyfriend during a small gathering at Mr Pistorius’ house on Saturday afternoon when Mr Pistorius told them to go outside. Mr Pistorius’ friend returned to the house alone, prompting the woman to start kicking the doors. It was while she was kicking the doors that Mr Pistorius allegedly opened the door and told her to leave his house. When he closed the door on her, one of the door panels allegedly hit her on the leg and she sustained some bruises. The woman then went to the Boschkop Police Station to report an assault case. Mr Pistorius was charged with assault with intent to cause grievous bodily harm but the charge was changed to common assault.

Drug syndicate bust in Durban

On Monday, drugs worth R600-million were seized in what is believed to be the biggest haul yet in South Africa. The suspects were traced after the Hawks (the newly established police crime-fighting unit, the Directorate for Priority Crime Investigations) received intelligence from their British counterparts.

Six people were arrested and about R600-million worth of hashish and heroin was seized at two locations in Durban on Monday. Three British citizens and two South Africans were arrested in Durban and a fourth British citizen was arrested in London. The three tons of drugs, which had been compacted into blocks and sealed in brown wrapping, had been hidden in truck battery casings at Storage City depots at Mount Edgecombe and Glen Anil (suburbs located in the north of Durban). The arrested Britons are expected to appear in court later this week.

Six gunmen killed in foiled cash-in-transit heist outside Pretoria

On Monday, police officers from various specialist police units shot dead six people in a foiled cash heist, drawing praise from the country's new police chief for a job “well done.”

The shoot-out took place at lunchtime on Monday in Kameeldrift (a rural area located north-east of Pretoria) after police, notified by security guards that their cash-in-transit van was being trailed, arrived as gunmen opened fire on the van. The police retaliated and a shoot-out out ensued between them and the suspects. Six of the armed robbers were fatally wounded while a police officer was shot in both legs. He was airlifted to hospital where he underwent surgery. A police spokesperson says the wounded police officer is in a stable condition and recovering nicely. The police are still searching for an additional three gunmen. Three R-5 military assault rifles, four pistols and a shotgun were recovered at the scene.

The police action drew praise from newly-appointed National Police Commissioner Bheki Cele. He congratulated the police members on a job well done and emphasized the point that when armed thugs shoot at police and members of the community, then the police are obliged to protect themselves and the community.

Minister of Police pledges to reduce crime

The Minister of Police, Nathi Mthethwa has pledged to improve the criminal justice system and reduce crime levels over the next five years. On Tuesday, Minister Mthethwa and National Police Commissioner Bheki Cele addressed the National Press Club in Pretoria.

Minister Mthethwa says government has a responsibility to lead the fight against crime, adding that by 2014 crime levels should have decreased significantly. However, the Minister says government cannot do this alone. He says while there has been a decrease in financial losses in the recent spate of cash-in-transit heists, the threat to the community has increased. Minister Mthethwa says police officers need to fight fire with fire and that the South African Police Service (SAPS) will be better equipped to deal with trigger-happy criminals.

25-member gang robs another Johannesburg shopping mall

Yet another Johannesburg shopping centre has been robbed, this time by 25 armed men with handguns and rifles.

The Berg Shopping Centre in Bergbron, Roodepoort (a large town located on Johannesburg’s West Rand) was attacked on Wednesday evening by a gang that arrived in 10 separate motor vehicles. Three shops in the shopping centre were robbed.

The police say that 5 gang members kept guard in the car park while the other 10 robbed a supermarket, a bottle store and the post office. It is believed the entire operation took 15 minutes and no one was injured and no shots were fired. Witnesses saw some of the men leaving in Mercedes-Benz and BMW motor vehicles. About two hours after the shopping centre robbery, five armed men stormed a sports bar in Roodepoort. There were about 30 customers in the restaurant, who were held up together with the staff. A cash register was emptied by the robbers and they also robbed the customers of their cellphones. No shots were fired and nobody was injured at the restaurant. The robbers fled from the scene of the crime in BMW and Chrysler motor vehicles. The Berg Shopping Centre robbery is the second reported mall robbery in the greater Johannesburg area this week. The first happened on Monday at Kempton Square in Kempton Park (a large town on Johannesburg’s East Rand) where two armed men held up staff and customers at a clothing store and stole their cellphones. National Police Commissioner Bheki Cele announced last week that 98 people have already been arrested in connection with shopping mall heists around the country. Last month, seven shopping centres in Gauteng were targeted by armed gangs within one week.

OTHER SOCIAL ISSUES

SACTWU strike set to go ahead this week

Close to 60 000 workers in the clothing industry are expected to down tools this week in a nationwide strike. The impending industrial action follows months of failed wage negotiations between the South African Clothing and Textile Workers Union (SACTWU) and employers. SACTWU served manufacturers with a strike notice last week as wage negotiations remained deadlocked.

Employers have not moved from their 5% wage offer, with workers demanding no less than a 7.9% wage hike.

SACTWU says the employers’ wage offer is an insult to its members and the union says the strike will continue until employers meet its wage demands.

[On Tuesday morning, groups of striking clothing workers began picketing at various sites across Cape Town. A SACTWU shop steward says the strike will last for as long as necessary as the union believes its demand for a 7.9% pay hike is more than fair.

On Thursday, SACTWU announced that it would discuss a new wage offer with its members. The union insisted on a 7.9% wage increase while employers initially offered 5% but they revised their offer to 8% after the strike got underway. The union says it will know by the middle of next week whether its members have accepted the revised wage offer or not].

Warning of second swine flu wave in South Africa

The National Institute for Communicable Diseases (NICD) has warned the public about a second wave of the H1N1 virus, more commonly known as swine flu, hitting the country. The Institute says people should not let their guard down against the deadly virus, which has already claimed the lives of 47 people in South Africa. The most recent casualty of the deadly virus is a KwaZulu-Natal doctor.

Deputy Director of the NICD, Dr Adrian Puren says the viruses mutate and often launch fresh attacks. Dr Puren explains, “We are already seeing the so-called ’second wave’ in the Northern Hemisphere. We need to make sure that we are prepared for the second wave and keep an eye out for what is happening in the Northern Hemisphere in terms of what the virus will do. In other words, will it continue to be mild or will it be the dominant virus?”

[A Situation Report issued by the National Institute for Communicable Diseases (NICD), reporting on cases tested positive for pandemic influenza A(H1N1) as at 14h00 on 14 September 2009, indicated 11,253 laboratory-confirmed cases in South Africa with 47 laboratory-confirmed H1N1 deaths so far.]

Ministry of Defence wants soldiers’ dismissals wrapped up soon

The Ministry of Defence and Military Veterans is still waiting to hear if the Gauteng Judge President will allow a full bench to urgently decide on the fate of soldiers who were involved in violent wage protests last month. The South African National Defence Union (SANDU) has taken Defence Minister, Ms Lindiwe Sisulu and the Chief of the South African National Defence Force (SANDF) to court to stop its members from being dismissed.

Days after striking soldiers clashed with police while protesting outside the Union Buildings in Pretoria, Minister Sisulu announced that those involved would be dismissed after the necessary legal steps were taken. The Defence Ministry says the matter needs to be dealt with urgently as it is of national security. A Ministry spokesperson says, “We do

not want to have a long drawn out litigation. We are waiting for the office of the judge to give us a response and hopefully this will be during the course of this week.”

Police monitor student protest at Wits University

On Wednesday, students from the University of the Witwatersrand (WITS) in Johannesburg protested for a third day but management says they are ready for any unruly behaviour. Students made their way through the campus where they disrupted classes. Their protest moved to Yale Road in Braamfontein, where they planned on blocking the entrances to the university but heavily armed police were placed on standby with water cannons while a police chopper circled the main campus.

On Tuesday, protesting students toppled rubbish bins, blockaded the university’s entrance and barged through lecture venues. Management and student representatives have been locked in talks because students are unhappy about proposed fee increases.

Protest action at Wits University suspended

On Thursday, student leaders at Wits University in Johannesburg suspended their mass action against next year’s fee increases. They have written a letter to the chairperson of the university’s council and have also declared a vote of no confidence in the institution’s Vice Chancellor, saying they want him to be removed.

The university has been granted a court order, preventing students from disrupting classes after three days of protests. Student leaders say the university has been intimidating them by holding disciplinary hearings and obtaining a court interdict barring students from disrupting classes. Student leaders have called on the institution’s highest decision-making body to assist them in their fight. They have tabled a list of their grievances in a letter to the university’s council and have given officials two weeks to respond.

NEIGHBOURING COUNTRIES

Malagasy opposition supporters dispersed

Last weekend, police in Antananarivo, the capital city of Madagascar, dispersed small groups of opposition supporters opposed to the administration of Andry Rajoelina. A spokesperson for ousted President Marc Ravalomanana's TIM party says that a female opposition Senator was detained for questioning.

Senator Eliane Naika's arrest was linked to demonstrations last Friday, during which TIM activists clashed with police.

The police used teargas and rubber bullets to disperse several hundred protesters. A TIM spokesman says the Senator’s arrest was “baseless.” Last week, Andry Rajoelina effectively caused internationally sponsored power- sharing talks to collapse by unilaterally appointing a new Cabinet that was promptly rejected by the country’s three other opposition movements. Mr Rajoelina, a 35-year old former disc jockey, ousted President Marc Ravalomanana with the army's backing on 17 March and he has since failed to win recognition at home and abroad.

Malagasy PM warns country could split over crisis

This week, Malagasy Prime Minister Monja Roindefo participated in a television debate with the head of ousted President Marc Ravalomanana’s movement. Mr Roindefo has accused the international community (known as the International Contact Group, whose members include representatives of the African Union (AU), the South African Development Community (SADC) and the international organization of French-speaking countries) of betraying President Andry Rajoelina and warns that Madagascar risks being torn into regions ruled by warlords. Opposition groups, regional bodies and foreign powers have rejected the new government named unilaterally by President Rajoelina and Mr Roindefo on the grounds that it has broken a power-sharing deal signed in Maputo last month.

Mr Rajoelina toppled President Ravalomanana in a coup in March, with the help of dissidents in the Malagasy military.

Mr Roindefo claims that Madagascar remains a sovereign state and that the three opposition parties are foreign creations. Mr Roindefo says, “The President and the Prime Minister of the transition reflect the national will. The International Contact Group (ICG) then created these other parties. If we are not careful, we will end up like Somalia with warlords.”

Madagascar, which is richly endowed with oil, nickel, cobalt, gold, uranium and coal deposits, has been rocked by political turmoil since the beginning of the year, sending economic growth towards negative territory. The international community invited former Malagasy Presidents Didier Ratsiraka and Albert Zafy to negotiations after Mr Rajoelina and Mr Ravalomanana declined to talk directly following the coup. Political analysts say the Malagasy army has divided loyalties despite presenting a united front and that in a worst-case scenario it could split into factions. In this week’s television debate, the head of Mr Ravalomanana’s movement said the Malagasy opposition remains united in their determination to establish a consensus government. Mr Ravalomanana’s movement has called on Mr Rajoelina to return to the negotiating table and has accused the new administration of employing double standards regarding the power-sharing deal signed in Mozambique on 9 August.