WEEKLY POLITICAL & SOCIAL NEWS (JUNE 29
th– JULY 3
rd)
EMBASSY OF THE REPUBLIC OF KOREA PRETORIA, SOUTH AFRICA
Politics
President Zuma meets Jackie Selebi to discuss contract
Archbishop Desmond Tutu adds weight to Vusi Pikoli case
President Zuma to attend ANC conference in KwaZulu-Natal
Nationalize South Africa’s mines – ANC Youth League President
Foreign Relations
President Zuma leads SA delegation to 13th Ordinary Session of AU Summit
AU will not co-operate with ICC on indictment of Sudanese President
Crime
Poaching costs South Africa around R6-billion a year
More security resources pledged for 2010 FIFA World Cup
ATM e-mail in circulation is a hoax
Police Minister might reinstate specialist police units
Other Social Issues
Swine flu hits the Western Cape
Gauteng Community Safety MEC threatens to revoke taxi permits
Praises all round for soccer hosts South Africa
Health Department continues to monitor swine flu cases
FIFA President gives South Africa thumbs-up for Confederations Cup
More swine flu infections in South Africa
Egyptian ambassador demands apology from SA media
Health Department expects more swine flu infections
New wage deal could end crippling doctors’ strike
COSATU says South Africa faces an education crisis
Joint name suggested for Pretoria/Tshwane dilemma
Two more swine flu cases confirmed in South Africa
Doctors suspend strike to consider wage offer
Neighbouring Countries
Ousted Malagasy President in Libya for AU summit
Madagascar talks to resume this month – African Union
POLITICS
President Zuma meets Jackie Selebi to discuss contract
Last week, President Jacob Zuma met Jackie Selebi, the suspended National Police Commissioner, about his future.
Commissioner Selebi is currently on special leave pending a criminal case against him. Commissioner Selebi's contract ends on 30 June and indications are that the Zuma administration will not renew it and Mr Selebi’s successor is likely to be appointed in September.
Neither the Presidency nor the Minister of Police, Nathi Mthethwa has commented on what will happen to the Police Chief or who his replacement will be. Minister Mthethwa says he is no longer having sleepless nights about Commissioner Selebi's contract, which was extended by one year by former President Thabo Mbeki last year.
Minister Mthethwa says a decision will be made very soon and a permanent police commissioner will definitely be appointed. While Commissioner Selebi has not commented publicly about his future, a source close to him maintains that he will not challenge a decision not to renew his contract because he does not want to stay in a position where he is no longer wanted. Commissioner Selebi's trial for corruption and other criminal charges will continue in the Randburg Magistrate's Court on 5 October.
Archbishop Desmond Tutu adds weight to Vusi Pikoli case
Archbishop Desmond Tutu has entered the legal fray over axed National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) head, Advocate Vusi Pikoli's, controversial dismissal. Archbishop Tutu contends that the non-governmental and non-profit organization, Freedom Under Law, for which he is an international adviser, should be allowed to participate in Advocate Pikoli's court challenge of his axing.
Freedom Under Law can provide the court hearing Advocate Pikoli's challenge with a number of key legal insights relevant to his former position as National Director of Public Prosecutions and the appropriate procedure for his removal. Advocate Pikoli maintains that he was suspended by then President Thabo Mbeki in September 2007 because of his refusal to order the Scorpions (an elite crime-fighting unit within the NPA which was formally disbanded earlier this year) to back down from their corruption investigation into National Police Commissioner Jackie Selebi. Advocate Pikoli also maintains that former President Kgalema Motlanthe fired him in December 2008 (despite the Ginwala Commission of Inquiry finding that he was fit and proper for his position) out of a desire to protect President Jacob Zuma from prosecution. Advocate Pikoli’s acting replacement, Advocate Mokotedi Mpshe, subsequently withdrew all corruption, fraud and racketeering charges against President Zuma on 6 April this year.
Advocate Pikoli says an overwhelming conclusion can be made that the ANC leadership would prefer to deal with a Prosecuting Head who would be more compliant than he was.
President Zuma to attend ANC conference in KwaZulu-Natal
President Jacob Zuma will be among 1 300 African National Congress (ANC) members to gather in Durban, KwaZulu- Natal this coming weekend for the party's Provincial General Council (PGC). The meeting, under the theme "Working together we can do more, now is the time to fight poverty and build a prosperous society" will be opened by President Zuma (who is also President of the ANC) and he will deliver a keynote address at the conference venue (the University of KwaZulu-Natal Westville Campus) on Saturday.
During the 2-day PGC, party delegates will also elect a new ANC Provincial Secretary following the resignation of former Secretary Senzo Mchunu, who is now MEC for Education in KwaZulu-Natal. The conference ends on Sunday.
Nationalize South Africa’s mines – ANC Youth League President
The controversial ANC Youth League (ANCYL) President, Julius Malema has called on South Africa's mines to be nationalized, according to an article in the Sowetan daily newspaper on Thursday.
Speaking at the launch of the ANCYL’s political school in Krugersdorp (a town located 40km west of Johannesburg) on Wednesday, Mr Malema commented, “At the moment, when the imperialist forces are accepting the failures of capitalism, we should ask whether the time has not arrived for the government to make sure that the state owns the mines and other means of production as called for in the Freedom Charter.”
Mr Malema says President Jacob Zuma should fast-track the implementation of the Freedom Charter of 1955 which stated that “the mineral wealth beneath the soil, monopoly industry and banks should be transferred to the ownership of the people as a whole.” Mr Malema says he also understands that not all South Africans would welcome the implementation of some of the Charter's aspirations.
FOREIGN RELATIONS
President Zuma leads SA delegation to 13th Ordinary Session of AU Summit
Last Sunday, President Jacob Zuma departed for Libya to lead the South African delegation to the 13th Ordinary Session of the African Union (AU) Summit, taking place in Sirte, Libya from 1-3 July. President Zuma will be supported at the Summit by International Relations Minister (Ms Maite Nkoana-Mashabane), the Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries (Ms Tina Joemat-Pettersson) and senior government officials.
This year’s 13th Ordinary Session of the AU, convening under the theme ‘Investing in Agriculture for Economic Growth and Food Security’ was preceded by the 15th Ordinary Session of the Executive Council (28-30 June), the meeting of the Ministers’ of Agriculture (27 June), the New Partnership for Africa’s Development (NEPAD) Heads of State and Government Implementation Committee (HSGIC - 30 June) and the African Peer Review (APR) Forum (30 June).
Following an extensive discussion on the Summit’s theme, the Assembly will adopt a Declaration on investing in agriculture, which will include a programme of action. Other issues for discussion during this year’s AU Summit include: *Report of the 12th Extraordinary Session of the Executive Council on the Implementation of Decision Assembly on the Transformation of the African Union Commission into the African Union Authority, Tripoli, Libya, 15- 16 April 2009; *Progress Report of the AU Commission on the Implementation of Decision of the Assembly on the Abuse of the Principle of Universal Jurisdiction as adopted by the 12th Ordinary Session of the Assembly; *Report of the Chairperson of NEPAD Heads of State and Government implementation Committee; *Progress Report of the AU Commission on the Implementation of Assembly Decision on the Hissene Habre Case as adopted by the 12th Ordinary Session of the Assembly; *Report of the AU Commission on the Meeting of African States Parties to the Rome Statute on the International Criminal Court (ICC); and *Report of the African Union Peace and Security Council, which will cover extensively progress to date on Continental issues relating to peace and security.
President Zuma, as the current Chairman of the Southern African Development Community (SADC), also reported on the outcomes of the recent Extraordinary SADC Summit on Madagascar, held in South Africa on 20 June. President Zuma returns to South Africa on Friday, 3 July.
AU will not co-operate with ICC on indictment of Sudanese President
The African Union (AU) will not co-operate with the International Criminal Court (ICC) over its indictment of Sudanese President Omar Hassan al-Bashir, according to a draft of an AU resolution. The African Union says the arrest warrant will compromise peace efforts in Darfur and the 53-member organization wants a deferment of the indictment, covering war crimes carried out during fighting in Sudan’s Darfur region. The draft resolution was discussed by African leaders at this week’s 13th AU Summit of Heads of State and Government in Sirte, Libya.
Former South African President Thabo Mbeki is chairing an AU panel charged with helping to bring peace to Darfur by making recommendations to the AU’s Peace and Security Council as an alternative to the ICC indictment.
International experts say 200 000 people have died and more than 2.5 million have been displaced from their homes in the remote western region of Sudan since mostly non-Arab rebels took up arms against the government in 2003.
The Sudanese government puts the death toll at 10 000.
CRIME
Poaching costs South Africa around R6-billion a year
FEIKE, an anti-marine private poaching body based in Cape Town, says the scourge of poaching is costing the South African economy around R6-billion a year. A research report on poaching was discussed at an Institute for Security Studies (a respected South African independent research institute and think-tank) seminar in Cape Town last week.
The report’s author, Shaheen Moola, says the government is losing the war on poaching. He says the illegal abalone trade is costing the South African economy over R2-billion annually and he believes that the disbanding of some anti- poaching units in the Western Cape is only one reason why the scourge is increasing. Mr Moola says the authorities are just not taking the issue seriously enough. Mr Moola comments, “The principle problem is an absolute refusal, within leadership, to acknowledge that the poaching problem is a crisis.”
In June alone, there have been at least three major abalone busts in Cape Town.
More security resources pledged for 2010 FIFA World Cup
More hi-tech resources will be made available to police officers during the 2010 FIFA Soccer World Cup, police authorities said on Tuesday. Police officers have hailed the security operation put in place during the Confederation Cup tournament as a resounding success.
There were 39 Confederations Cup-related crimes, which translates into one crime for every 10 000 soccer fans that turned out for the matches. However, Deputy National Police Commissioner Andre Pruis says security will be intensified for next year’s soccer spectacle. He explains, “I think we made calculations on the further needs that we do have and we will make sure that additional systems will be purchased in the run-up to the 2010 World Cup.”
ATM e-mail in circulation is a hoax
Automated teller machine (ATM) users have been urged to ignore a hoax e-mail that has resurfaced, instructing them to enter their pin codes backwards in order to alert police to criminal activity. The e-mail’s source is still unknown and it has been circulating for years now. The banking industry has warned customers to remain alert in order to avoid such scams. The South African Banking Risk Information Centre (SABRIC) is advising banking clients that the e-mail doing the rounds is a hoax e-mail and should be ignored.
Police Minister might reinstate specialist police units
The Minister of Police, Nathi Mthethwa says he might reinstate specialist police units such as the child protection unit and narcotics bureau. These police units were controversially disbanded during 2007-2008 and their members were then sent to local police stations around the country.
Speaking in Parliament on Wednesday, Minister Mthethwa says this move might need to be revisited, commenting
“We need to consider the reintroduction of some of the specialized units such as the child protection unit and the sexual offences unit.”
Minister Mthethwa also announced that a new National Police Commissioner will be appointed within the next month.
But the opposition Democratic Alliance (DA) lashed out at the Police Minister for taking so long to replace Jackie Selebi.
OTHER SOCIAL ISSUES
Swine flu hits the Western Cape
The Western Cape Health Department says the woman diagnosed with swine flu is still under quarantine. The 51- year-old woman was positively diagnosed with the virus last Friday. The resident of Worcester (a town located 120 km north-east of Cape Town), who came back from holiday in the United States, is one of four confirmed cases in the country.
The provincial health department says the woman is recovering in isolation at home and advises people to take the normal precautions whenever they experience flu-like symptoms. The department advises, “If anybody has flu, just look after yourselves and try to have it diagnosed early – any flu, not just swine flu – and also follow basic hygiene practices.”
Gauteng Community Safety MEC threatens to revoke taxi permits
Another stand-off is looming between taxi operators and government as taxi bosses threaten another nationwide shutdown over the Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) System.
Gauteng Community Safety MEC (Member of an Executive Council – a provincial cabinet minister) Khabisi Mosunkutu says government will not be dictated to and taxi operators who have been given temporary permits to use state- owned roads can have their permits withdrawn at any time. The Community Safety MEC warns that the provincial government will revoke the permits of taxi operators who break the law. He also says he will be forced to obstruct all taxi services this week and if taxi bosses fail to retract their threats to disrupt government’s BRT rollouts, he will ban taxis completely. The Community Safety MEC has urged commuters to use buses and trains despite facing serious opposition from the taxi industry.
Praises all round for soccer hosts South Africa
The FIFA Local Organizing Committee (LOC) says the 2009 Confederations Cup has proven that South Africa is capable of hosting a successful 2010 Soccer World Cup. The tournament came to an end with a final between Brazil and the United States last Sunday evening. Brazil was crowned as the tournament champions for the third time, after two weeks of international football fever in the country. Brazil walked away as the champions after beating the USA 3-2 in a thrilling final at Ellis Park Stadium in Johannesburg.
The 2010 LOC has reemphasized the tournament’s success and praised South African fans for making it a resounding world-class event. The LOC’s head of communications, Rich Mkhondo says, “We can only thank South Africans for their patronage and their support. Remember we are on par with Germany when it comes to the attendance - that is an average of 36 000 fans per game.”
The tournament was used as a precursor to test soccer stadiums’ readiness, broadcast infrastructure, security, transport and accommodation capacity ahead of the 2010 Soccer World Cup. FIFA officials have already indicated that there are a few things that need reevaluating such as the park-and-ride transport system. Meanwhile, soccer fans have chorused FIFA’s sentiments by giving South Africa the thumbs up ahead of next year’s World Cup after the Confederations Cup came and went without any major hiccups.
Health Department continues to monitor swine flu cases
On Monday, the National Department of Health said that it was in the process of tracing all the contacts that the women, who were confirmed to have swine flu, may have encountered. Two more women who have returned from overseas have been diagnosed with the virus, bringing the number of H1N1 cases in the country to four.
The Health Department’s spokesperson Fidel Hadebe says that both patients are currently being kept in isolation and are recovering well. Mr Hadebe says the Health Department is taking all necessary precautions, commenting “We will still be tracing the contacts that they may have encountered, so that we can put in place whatever precautionary measures we need to put in place but we are not facing any problems at this stage.”
FIFA President gives South Africa thumbs-up for Confederations Cup
On Monday, FIFA President Sepp Blatter gave the 2009 Confederations Cup tournament an overall score of 7½ out of 10. The tournament ended last Sunday with Brazil retaining the title they won in Germany four years ago. Mr Blatter says he is satisfied with the organization of the Confederations Cup tournament but has cited security, transport and accommodation as the main challenges that need to be corrected ahead of the 2010 Soccer World Cup. He was joined by Local Organizing Committee (LOC) Chief Executive Danny Jordaan at the press briefing. Mr Jordaan also expressed his satisfaction with the tournament.
Mr Blatter began Monday’s press conference with a moment of silence after announcing that one of the four German journalists, who were involved in a car accident in Bloemfontein last week, passed away on Monday morning. The LOC and FIFA will have a debriefing session this week to examine the tournament’s successes and shortcomings and to map out ways of rectifying them in time for the World Cup tournament next year.
More swine flu infections in South Africa
Three more people have been diagnosed with swine flu in South Africa, pushing the country’s number of infected patients to seven. The National Department of Health says the three new cases were confirmed last weekend. The Departmental spokesperson, Fidel Hadebe says there is no cause for serious concern, commenting, “These are cases of people with recent travel history outside of South Africa and all of them are recovering well at home.”
It is understood that two of the three patients are displaying mild symptoms whilst the Health Department is still gathering information about the third patient’s condition.
Egyptian ambassador demands apology from SA media
The Egyptian ambassador to South Africa has called for an apology over reports that prostitutes robbed his country’s soccer team. The Egyptian team reported a robbery at their Illovo, Johannesburg hotel after their 1-0 win over Italy during the 2009 Confederations Cup soccer tournament earlier this month. Newspaper reports quoted unnamed police officials who claimed the Egyptian soccer team was robbed by sex workers whom they had invited to their hotel rooms for post-match celebrations but CCTV footage from the hotel has proven otherwise.
The South African Police Service (SAPS) admit that they have no leads despite a multi-pronged team of dedicated detectives investigating the matter. CCTV footage from the hotel proves that Egyptian team members returned to their hotel rooms without the prostitutes which local media reports claim they had hired. Egyptian Ambassador Mohamed Zayed has demanded public retractions from the South African media because he says the reports have damaged the Egyptian team’s reputation in their home country. The ambassador warns, “All of this information is going to be corrected. If this does not happen then extreme measures will be taken.”
The police say the docket will be passed on to the Director of Public Prosecutions for a decision about how to proceed with the investigation.
Health Department expects more swine flu infections
South Africa can expect more cases of swine flu in the near future due to a lack of travel restrictions. A total of seven cases of the H1N1 virus have been confirmed in the country within the last two weeks. A 12-year-old American boy who flew into the country from Atlanta was the first to be diagnosed with the virus followed by six others who had recently been overseas.
The National Health Department’s Chief Director for Communicable Diseases, Dr Frew Benson says it is inevitable that the virus will enter South Africa’s borders and more cases could be confirmed soon. Dr Benson explains, “Infections spread from one country to the other. There have been no travel restrictions to any of the countries where there are large numbers of infections. So we can expect that in South Africa there will be more cases.”
New wage deal could end crippling doctors’ strike
It is unclear whether the unlawful strikes that have crippled state hospitals in some provinces will continue after unions agreed to a wage offer in principle on Tuesday. Negotiations at the Bargaining Council in Centurion, Pretoria were finalized on Tuesday. The government has signed the contract and unions have been given 21 days to get their members to ratify the wage offer.
The Public Health Bargaining Council says the end of the wage dispute is in sight. Two unions have indicated their support in principle and the majority of unions have gone to their members for ratification while others have gone to their members for mandates. However, the National Union of Public Service and Allied Workers (NUPSAW) has dismissed the wage offer, saying it may have to force the employer to submit to arbitration. The National Education, Health and Allied Workers’ Union (NEHAWU) chief negotiator says he hopes the wage deal will be accepted by his union’s members. The South African Medical Association (SAMA) says it is going to its members to get a mandate.
COSATU says South Africa faces an education crisis
The Congress of South African Trade Unions (COSATU) has described the country’s education system as being in crisis, saying it leaves much to be desired. The trade union federation held an education and skills conference in Johannesburg this week, where it called on officials from the Basic and Higher Education Ministries to improve the quality of learning.
COSATU General-Secretary Zwelinzima Vavi says the country is unable to compete with other African states on basic survival skills because of the low standard of education. He says 60% of children are pushed out of the schooling system before they reach Grade 12 (Matric). Mr Vavi says many schools are unsafe places where violence and abuse are rife. The trade unionist also criticized teachers in the Johannesburg townships of Soweto and Lenasia for disrupting exams earlier this month during an unprotected two-week strike. Mr Vavi is focusing on the importance of skills development for shop stewards and workers and says it is the only way to empower people. He has also called on government and business to get involved in training people to help them further their careers.
Joint name suggested for Pretoria/Tshwane dilemma
A joint name is now being suggested as a possible solution to the Pretoria/Tshwane dispute. The Freedom Front Plus (FF+) political party believes it is possible to come up with a name that will please all those who live in the capital city.
This comes after the Broadcasting Complaints Commission of South Africa ruled that the state broadcaster, the South African Broadcasting Corporation (SABC), violated its code by referring to the capital city as Tshwane in its TV news bulletins.
The FF+ says that a combined name like that of KwaZulu-Natal could halt the polarization of the capital city’s communities. The FF+ believes that the new name for the capital city should ideally contain both the names Pretoria and Tshwane to accommodate all the diverse groups in the city.
Two more swine flu cases confirmed in South Africa
Two more cases of swine flu have been detected in the country - this time in Worcester, a town in the Western Cape Province. This brings the number of confirmed infections in South Africa to nine but the National Department of Health is urging people not to panic.
Health officials say a 51-year-old woman contracted the disease in America. She returned to South Africa feeling unwell on 20 June and visited her doctor the following day. She had been travelling with her 80-year-old father but his test results were negative. The woman’s live-in partner was not so lucky and she too has contracted the virus but health officials say they are both recovering well. They are being kept in isolation and within 1-10 days of treatment they will no longer be infectious.
Doctors suspend strike to consider wage offer
Junior doctors at Chris Hani Baragwanath Hospital in Soweto, Johannesburg have postponed their strike while they consider government’s revised wage offer. Interns at the Soweto facility embarked on a go-slow from Tuesday over salaries and they make up around a third of the hospital’s staff.
Interns want a 50% across the board salary increase, claiming that government’s initial offer last month did not meet their requirements. This week’s go-slow was also a show of support for KwaZulu-Natal doctors who were dismissed for striking and they are still awaiting the decision by the Department of Health on whether these doctors’ dismissal letters will be cancelled. Doctors will meet with their union representatives on Friday to discuss the salary issue.
Meanwhile, the South African Medical Association (SAMA) says it is canvassing members as to whether they will accept government’s latest salary offer. SAMA says the wage offer has been distributed to doctors via road shows to various hospitals but there is no pressure on doctors to accept it.
NEIGHBOURING COUNTRIES
Ousted Malagasy President in Libya for AU summit
Ousted former Malagasy President Marc Ravalomanana arrived in Sirte, Libya last weekend, ahead of this week’s 13th African Union Summit, where he will meet continental leaders to discuss the country's political crisis. A statement issued by Mr Ravalomanana’s office reads, “President Ravalomanana will continue to work closely with all parties interested in finding a peaceful and lasting solution to the crisis in Madagascar.”
Mr Ravalomanana fled from his country to South Africa after his political rival Andry Rajoelina ousted him in a military coup in March this year. Mr Rajoelina (aged 35) has promised that elections will take place next year, despite being constitutionally five years too young to run for president. Last weekend, Mr Ravalomanana met with several African leaders at an extraordinary Southern African Development Community (SADC) Summit in Johannesburg, which called for a peaceful, negotiated settlement through dialogue in Madagascar. Former Mozambican President, Joaquim Chissano, has been appointed by SADC to lead an inclusive dialogue among the Malagasy parties.
In his statement, Mr Ravalomanana has again declared his commitment to support the process of further dialogue endorsed by SADC and the African Union (AU) and has applauded efforts to help bring about a peaceful solution to the crisis. He has suggested that all options, including military action, be considered to restore order to Madagascar
and this is a view shared by Africa's largest trading bloc, the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA). SADC took over efforts to restore Constitutional order in Madagascar after mediation efforts by the AU and United Nations were suspended. Both the AU and SADC have suspended Madagascar until the return of Constitutional order.
Madagascar talks to resume this month – African Union
International mediation aimed at ending Madagascar's political crisis will resume this month, the African Union's (AU) Commissioner for Peace and Security announced on Wednesday. The idea was to take a short break so that Madagascar's political role-players could consult among themselves on what efforts they can make to accommodate one other.
A meeting is planned in mid-July by the international contact group to evaluate the situation and to look for ways to intensify and accelerate the negotiations. Madagascar's elected President Marc Ravalomanana was toppled in March following street protests that saw opposition leader Andry Rajoelina take power, with the army's blessing. Talks sponsored, notably by the African Union and United Nations, were launched on 8 April between Mr Rajoelina's transitional authority and supporters of Mr Ravalomanana, who is still recognized by the international community as the island's lawful leader. However, the talks were suspended on 16 June with no date for resumption set. The Southern African Development Community (SADC) held an emergency summit on 19-20 June to reiterate the regional bloc's support for a negotiated settlement and appointed former Mozambican President Joaquim Chissano to co- ordinate mediation efforts. Mr Ravalomanana is attending this week’s AU Summit in Libya (although Madagascar has been suspended from the continental grouping) to lobby African leaders to press for his return to Madagascar.
