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Viewing cable 09PRETORIA1618, SOUTH AFRICA POLITICAL NEWSLETTER AUGUST 2-AUGUST 8

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Reference ID Created Released Classification Origin
09PRETORIA1618 2009-08-07 16:37 2011-08-24 01:00 UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY Embassy Pretoria
VZCZCXRO7612
RR RUEHBZ RUEHDU RUEHJO RUEHMR RUEHRN
DE RUEHSA #1618/01 2191637
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 071637Z AUG 09
FM AMEMBASSY PRETORIA
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 9285
RUCNSAD/SOUTHERN AF DEVELOPMENT COMMUNITY COLLECTIVE
RUEHTN/AMCONSUL CAPE TOWN 7045
RUEHDU/AMCONSUL DURBAN 1147
RUEHJO/AMCONSUL JOHANNESBURG 9415
UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 PRETORIA 001618 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: KDEM PGOV ASEC SF POL PAS ECON
SUBJECT: SOUTH AFRICA POLITICAL NEWSLETTER AUGUST 2-AUGUST 8 
 
PRETORIA 00001618  001.2 OF 003 
 
 
1. (SBU) This was written in partnership with the Open Source 
Center's Pretoria Bureau.  The newsletter is open to contributions 
from officers in the Embassy or in the Consulates who wish to 
highlight political trends.  Contact Madeline Seidenstricker or 
Jonathan Smallridge for more information, or to make contributions. 
The newsletter also is available on the Political Section's blog, "A 
View from South Africa," found on intelink.gov. 
 
------------- 
Domestic News 
------------- 
 
Opposition Uncovers Dodgy Government-Sanctioned Arms Deals 
 
2. (SBU)  Democratic Alliance (DA) shadow Defense Minister, David 
Maynier, accused the South African National Conventional Arms 
Control Committee (NCACC) of contravening international law on arms 
trade.  Maynier told Independent Newspapers that the NCACC had 
authorized, or was in the process of authorizing deals with Libya, 
Syria, Venezuela, Iran, North Korea, and Zimbabwe, all countries 
that rank poorly on human rights records.  He also accused the 
committee of violating the Arms Control Act by failing to produce 
annual reports to Parliament over the past five years.  The DA has 
called on Justice Minister Jeff Radebe, who chairs the committee, to 
launch an urgent investigation into the deals and halt the export of 
any military equipment not yet delivered.  (The Star, August 3, 
2009) 
 
RSA: Government Maintains 'Silence' on DA's Allegations of 'Dodgy' 
Arms Deals 
3. (SBU)  Pretoria News reports that the government maintained a 
"stony silence" on allegations by the DA that sales of weapons and 
military equipment to countries with poor human rights records did 
not follow the correct procedures.  The spokesman for Justice 
Minister Radebe, the new NCACC chairperson, deferred all comments to 
the government's chief spokesman, Themba Maseko, who refrained from 
commenting on grounds that Radebe was out of the country. 
Parliament's committee on defense and military veterans chairman, 
Nyami Booi, promised to conduct an investigation into the 
allegations so as to "shed some light" on the matter. [Pretoria News 
Online in English -- Website of local daily, privately owned by 
Independent Newspaper Company; URL: 
http://www.pretorianews.co.za/](Contributed by the Open Source 
Center's Pretoria Bureau) 
 
Congress of the People Says Talks With RSA Opposition Parties Aimed 
at Seeking "African National Congress Alternative" 
 
4. (SBU)  South African Broadcasting Corporation News reports that 
Congress of the People (COPE) is "engaging" other opposition 
political parties in an effort to find "common ground" and create an 
alternative to the ruling African National Congress (ANC) ahead of 
the 2011 local elections.  COPE spokesman, Philip Dexter, said that 
by talking to other opposition parties, COPE is not admitting defeat 
to the ANC.  He said that "there is clearly a view among members of 
all opposition parties that some discussions about initial 
co-operation and working towards unity as well as forming a new 
joint party, should be held."  He added that these measures are 
common practice all over the world and have nothing to do with how 
the strength of any party is perceived. [Johannesburg SABC News in 
English -- Online news service of the South African Broadcasting 
Corporation; nominally independent but partially funded by 
government; http://www.sabcnews.com] (Contribution from the Open 
Source Center's Pretoria Bureau) 
Zuma Dispels Media Reports Portraying RSA as State of 'Unrest' Amid 
QZuma Dispels Media Reports Portraying RSA as State of 'Unrest' Amid 
Protests 
5. (SBU)  The South African Press Agency reports that President 
Jacob Zuma downplayed foreign media reports on the recent service 
delivery protests which portrayed South Africa as a "country seized 
with unrest."  He said that the gravity of the events had been 
exaggerated but warned that it was unwise to dismiss them because 
"they raise important issues."  While the president condemned the 
violence, looting and intimidation that accompanied the protests, 
saying that law breakers would be punished, he also acknowledged the 
people's frustration with local councilors who have failed to do 
their jobs.  According to the president, the protests "highlight 
weaknesses in government institutions" and these must be held 
accountable for their "shortcomings."  He called for greater 
visibility by all parties within their constituencies and promised 
that the ANC would perform "an audit" of all its councilors to 
identify problems and resolve them.  [Description of Source: 
Johannesburg SAPA in English -- Cooperative, nonprofit national news 
agency, South African Press Association; URL: 
http://www.sapa.org.za] 
ANC-Youth League Faces Corruption Charges 
 
6. (SBU)  The DA has laid nine corruption charges against the 
leadership of the ANC Youth League (ANCYL) and board members of its 
investment-wing Lembede Investment Holdings (LIH). The ANCYL 
 
PRETORIA 00001618  002.2 OF 003 
 
 
executive committee and LIH board members are charged with 
contravening Section 34 of the Prevention and Combating of Corrupt 
Activities Act 12 of 2004, which states that it is an offence not to 
report corruption to the police. This follows media reports that the 
ANCYL will not take action against individuals implicated in 
possible fraud and corruption uncovered by a Gobodo audit report 
that was commissioned last year by ANCYL president Julius Malema. 
The audit uncovered illegal deals amounting to roughly 30 million 
USD.  (Sowetan, August, 3, 2009) 
 
Minister on a Fact-Finding Mission 
 
7. (SBU)  Human Settlement Minister Tokyo Sexwale spent Monday night 
in Diepsloot, an informal settlement north of Johannesburg. The 
Minster is on a fact-funding mission to gain a better understanding 
of the living conditions in informal settlements.  During the visit, 
the Department of Human Settlement had an overnight office in the 
area for public consultation. Next week the Minster will visit 
Khayelisha in Cape Town on the same mission.  (News24, August 4, 
2009) 
 
Public Protector to Challenge the Oilgate Ruling 
 
8. (SBU)  Public Protector Lawrence Mushwana is considering 
appealing against a high court judgment, which set aside the Oilgate 
report.  In 2005, the Public Protector investigated allegations of 
corruption between the black empowerment company Imvume and the ANC. 
 The scandal involved allegations of irregular payment of 
R15-million by PetroSA to Imvume Management, with part of the 
payment - roughly one million USD -- allegedly used by the ANC in 
the 2004 election campaign.  In his report, Mushwana found no 
evidence of wrongdoing between the parties.  However, the North 
Gauteng High Court in Pretoria set aside the report and criticized 
the investigation of being inadequate and Mushwana of shielding the 
ANC.  (Mail and Guardian, August 3, 2009) 
 
Police Chief Probes Deadly Force Legality 
 
9. (SBU)  New Police Commissioner Bkei Cele plans to ask Parliament 
to amend rules regarding the use of deadly force when the 
legislature reconvenes this month.  He said he would also ask for an 
amendment of rules regarding search and seize without a warrant and 
to give police greater powers to intervene in domestic violence.  He 
told Parliament's portfolio committee, the post-apartheid version of 
some laws forced police to think twice before shooting.  Cele said 
the high number of police fatalities proved that when faced with 
hardened criminals, they could not afford to hesitate.  He said it 
was up to parliamentarians to "take collective responsibility" to 
ensure the law was fair and did not afford criminals "greater 
rights" than their victims.  On search and seizure rules, he said 
the law must change to remove the onus on police to ask permission 
before entering premises where domestic abuse is under way.  He 
noted, "We have a man [beating] his wife and [police have to say] 
'please can I come in?' It cannot be."  (Reported by the Times - 6 
Aug 2009) 
 
------------------ 
International News 
------------------ 
 
New Diplomatic Deployments 
 
9. (SBU)  Former Democratic Opposition leader Tony Leon, former 
Correctional Services Minister Ngconde Balfour, and former social 
Development Minister Zola Skweyiya have started diplomatic training 
on Monday as Ambassador designates, the Department of International 
Relations and Cooperation (DICO) announced on Monday.  Leon is 
expected to become the South African Ambassador to Argentina, 
Qexpected to become the South African Ambassador to Argentina, 
Balfour as the South African High Commissioner to Botswana and 
Skweyiya as the High Commissioner to the United Kingdom.  Pallo 
Jordan's appointment to the United Nations has yet to be confirmed 
by DICO. (DICO briefing, August 3, 2009) 
 
Director General to stay on for another three years 
 
10. (SBU)  Following a Cabinet meeting this week, the Cabinet 
decided to extend the contract of the current Director General 
Ayanda Ntsaluba of the Department of International Relations and 
Cooperation (DICO) for a further three years.  Ntsaluba was 
appointed as Director General of DICO in September 2003. 
(Presidency briefing, July 29, 2009) 
 
Zuma's Scheduled Trips Abroad 
 
11. (SBU)  Zuma postponed a trip to Burundi this week.  The trip was 
to mark the end of the South African National Defense Force (SANDF) 
peace-keeping operation which was initiated in 2000.  No official 
reason was given by the Presidency for the postponement.  In other 
trips, Zuma will visit Angola on a state visit tentatively from 
 
PRETORIA 00001618  003.2 OF 003 
 
 
August 19 to 21 in order to establish a South Africa-Angola 
Binational Commission.  In September, Zuma is scheduled to pay a 
state visit to Venezuela, and then to proceed to the United States 
for the opening of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA). 
Zuma Meets Tsvangirai, Promises To Raise MDC's "Complaints" with 
Mugabe 
12. (SBU)  As reported by Post earlier this week, Zuma met with 
Zimbabwean Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai in Johannesburg for a 
briefing on the progress of the unity government established 
February.  Prime Minister Tsvangirai has complained about breaches 
to the political agreement signed last year between the Zanu-PF 
[Zimbabwe African National Union-Patriotic Front] and the MDC-T 
[Movement for Democratic Change-Tsvangirai], President Robert 
Mugabe's tardiness in redistributing provincial leadership, and the 
arrest of at least six MDC-T MPs.   Zuma said that the problems 
raised in the briefing "don't seem to be issues that cannot be 
resolved" and he will now contact President Mugabe, the MDC-M leader 
and regional leaders to brief them on the meeting "with the sole aim 
of saying how we could continue working together to make quick 
progress in Zimbabwe."  [Pretoria News Online in English -- Website 
of local daily, privately owned by Independent Newspaper Company; 
URL: http://www.pretorianews.co.za/] (Contributed by the Open Source 
Center's Pretoria Bureau)