Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
09CAPETOWN102
2009-05-07 13:33:00
UNCLASSIFIED
Consulate Cape Town
Cable title:
FIRST SESSION OF THE NATIONAL ASSEMBLY
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UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 CAPE TOWN 000102
DEPARTMENT FOR AF/S RMARBURG, MJAMES
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PGOV KDEM SF
SUBJECT: FIRST SESSION OF THE NATIONAL ASSEMBLY
1 (U) Summary. On May 6, African National Congress President Jacob
Zuma was elected as South Africa's fourth post apartheid President
during the first session of the National Assembly. Zuma's election
comes as no surprise since the ANC has a 65.9 percent majority in
Parliament and because Zuma has been long seen as the front runner
in the race for President ever since the ANC's conference in
Polokwane in December, 2007. Although The Congress of the People
(COPE) proposed an alternate candidate in party chairman Mvume
Dandala, Zuma was the clear winner with 277 votes out of 327. After
Zuma's election, all opposition parties publically congratulated him
on his Presidency and expressed their hope that both the ruling and
opposition parties could work together. End summary.
2. (U) Prior to Zuma's election as President, Chief Justice Pius
Langa convened the South African National Assembly. During its
inaugural session, the first since the recent April 22 national
elections, 400 members of Parliament were sworn in, a Speaker and
Deputy Speaker were elected, and candidates for President were
nominated. Among the first group of ten to take the oath was ANC
President Jacob Zuma. (Note: In order to be eligible for the
nomination of President a candidate must be a member of parliament.
End note)
3. (U) Veteran African National Congress member Max Sisulu was
elected Speaker of the National Assembly. Sisulu was nominated by
ANC stalwart Andrew Mlangeni, a nomination that went unopposed. In
his acceptance speech Sisulu, who is the first male to fill the
position since 1994, joked that he expected MPs to make the mistake
of calling him Madam Speaker. Former Cape Town Mayor Nomaindia
Mfeketo was elected as Deputy Speaker.
4. (U) After the 400 Members of Parliament were sworn in and the
Speaker and Deputy Speaker were elected, the Speaker called for the
nomination of the President. Winnie Mandela, former wife of
President Nelson Mandela, nominated Jacob Zuma on behalf of the ANC.
The Congress of the People (COPE) proposed an alternate candidate in
party chairman Mvume Dandala. As the Parliamentary staff was setting
up the Chamber for voting, ANC members were singing a tribute song
to Zuma and dancing in the aisles and in middle of the floor and had
to be called to order and told to return to their seats. Members
were then called on to vote by secret ballot, the Democratic
Alliance (DA),who hold 67 seats in Parliament, caused a stir in the
National Assembly when it announced that it would abstain from the
vote.
5. (U) With the ANC having a 65.9 percent majority in Parliament,
Zuma was a "sure-thing" as President, which is one of the reasons
the DA abstained from the vote. Out of a total of 327 ballots that
were cast, Zuma secured 277 votes, Dandala received 47 votes and 3
ballots were spoiled. Cheers erupted from the floor once the vote
was read. Opposition parties were then afforded the opportunity to
congratulate Zuma on his election. All the parties were gracious in
their congratulations to Zuma and all stressed the need for the
ruling party and opposition parties to work together. COPE
President Dandala gave Zuma his party's best wishes. "Mr. Speaker,
Mr. President-elect, on behalf of Cope, I wish to congratulate you
sir on your election as the President of South Africa. We accept
that the people of South Africa have spoken and we will give our
Qthat the people of South Africa have spoken and we will give our
support to the highest office of this nation." In his remarks to
President Zuma, The representative from the Minority Front party
stressed the need to include opposition parties, namely the Minority
Front party, in the Cabinet. The Democratic Alliance responded by
saying it was not appropriate for the Minority Front party to lobby
Zuma for a job in a public forum.
6. (U) In his acceptance speech President-elect Zuma said he looks
forward to reconciliation between the ANC and the Inkatha Freedom
Party (IFP). Note. The IFP, a traditional Zulu party, is based in
KZN and there were several incidents of violence in the lead up to
the elections between the ANC and IFP in the Province. End note.
He also promised more pro-poor policies to improve housing,
education, jobs, services and crime prevention for South Africa's
impoverished. He has also warned that the global economic downturn
may limit his room for maneuvering, but stressed his commitment to
the people of South Africa. Comment. Zuma takes on an economy that
may already be in its first recession in 17 years. Despite fears
that internal political pressure would force him to pursue
left-leaning economic policies he maintains that he will not tamper
with existing fiscal policy. The fate of Finance Minister Trevor
Manuel, widely respected by financial markets, will also be closely
watched by investors hoping for continuity. End comment. Zuma will
be inaugurated on May 9 and Presidency spokesperson Thabo Masebe
confirmed that the composition of the Cabinet will be announced in
Pretoria a day after Zuma's inauguration. During his speech, Zuma
said his Cabinet will be ready to assume office by May 11.
7. (U) During his remarks, Zuma jokingly said he wants an honorary
life time membership in Parliament since he has been in and out of
Parliament several times, but is no longer a Member of Parliament
now that he has been elected President. Note. Zuma was forced to
resign as deputy head of state in 2005 after his financial adviser
CAPE TOWN 00000102 002 OF 002
was handed a 15-year prison sentence for bribery charges. Zuma has
been in and out of courtrooms over the last few years on charges of
corruption and money-laundering relating to the arms deal. His
supporters say the charges were politically motivated to prevent him
from becoming President, a claim the opposition dismisses. After an
internal struggle with then President Mbeki, Zuma was elected as
chairman of the ANC at the Polokwane conference in December 2007, a
move which ultimately resulted in the removal of Mbeki as President
in 2008. All charges against Zuma were dropped a few weeks before
the April 22 election, clearing the way for him to assume the
Presidency. End note.
.
DEPARTMENT FOR AF/S RMARBURG, MJAMES
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PGOV KDEM SF
SUBJECT: FIRST SESSION OF THE NATIONAL ASSEMBLY
1 (U) Summary. On May 6, African National Congress President Jacob
Zuma was elected as South Africa's fourth post apartheid President
during the first session of the National Assembly. Zuma's election
comes as no surprise since the ANC has a 65.9 percent majority in
Parliament and because Zuma has been long seen as the front runner
in the race for President ever since the ANC's conference in
Polokwane in December, 2007. Although The Congress of the People
(COPE) proposed an alternate candidate in party chairman Mvume
Dandala, Zuma was the clear winner with 277 votes out of 327. After
Zuma's election, all opposition parties publically congratulated him
on his Presidency and expressed their hope that both the ruling and
opposition parties could work together. End summary.
2. (U) Prior to Zuma's election as President, Chief Justice Pius
Langa convened the South African National Assembly. During its
inaugural session, the first since the recent April 22 national
elections, 400 members of Parliament were sworn in, a Speaker and
Deputy Speaker were elected, and candidates for President were
nominated. Among the first group of ten to take the oath was ANC
President Jacob Zuma. (Note: In order to be eligible for the
nomination of President a candidate must be a member of parliament.
End note)
3. (U) Veteran African National Congress member Max Sisulu was
elected Speaker of the National Assembly. Sisulu was nominated by
ANC stalwart Andrew Mlangeni, a nomination that went unopposed. In
his acceptance speech Sisulu, who is the first male to fill the
position since 1994, joked that he expected MPs to make the mistake
of calling him Madam Speaker. Former Cape Town Mayor Nomaindia
Mfeketo was elected as Deputy Speaker.
4. (U) After the 400 Members of Parliament were sworn in and the
Speaker and Deputy Speaker were elected, the Speaker called for the
nomination of the President. Winnie Mandela, former wife of
President Nelson Mandela, nominated Jacob Zuma on behalf of the ANC.
The Congress of the People (COPE) proposed an alternate candidate in
party chairman Mvume Dandala. As the Parliamentary staff was setting
up the Chamber for voting, ANC members were singing a tribute song
to Zuma and dancing in the aisles and in middle of the floor and had
to be called to order and told to return to their seats. Members
were then called on to vote by secret ballot, the Democratic
Alliance (DA),who hold 67 seats in Parliament, caused a stir in the
National Assembly when it announced that it would abstain from the
vote.
5. (U) With the ANC having a 65.9 percent majority in Parliament,
Zuma was a "sure-thing" as President, which is one of the reasons
the DA abstained from the vote. Out of a total of 327 ballots that
were cast, Zuma secured 277 votes, Dandala received 47 votes and 3
ballots were spoiled. Cheers erupted from the floor once the vote
was read. Opposition parties were then afforded the opportunity to
congratulate Zuma on his election. All the parties were gracious in
their congratulations to Zuma and all stressed the need for the
ruling party and opposition parties to work together. COPE
President Dandala gave Zuma his party's best wishes. "Mr. Speaker,
Mr. President-elect, on behalf of Cope, I wish to congratulate you
sir on your election as the President of South Africa. We accept
that the people of South Africa have spoken and we will give our
Qthat the people of South Africa have spoken and we will give our
support to the highest office of this nation." In his remarks to
President Zuma, The representative from the Minority Front party
stressed the need to include opposition parties, namely the Minority
Front party, in the Cabinet. The Democratic Alliance responded by
saying it was not appropriate for the Minority Front party to lobby
Zuma for a job in a public forum.
6. (U) In his acceptance speech President-elect Zuma said he looks
forward to reconciliation between the ANC and the Inkatha Freedom
Party (IFP). Note. The IFP, a traditional Zulu party, is based in
KZN and there were several incidents of violence in the lead up to
the elections between the ANC and IFP in the Province. End note.
He also promised more pro-poor policies to improve housing,
education, jobs, services and crime prevention for South Africa's
impoverished. He has also warned that the global economic downturn
may limit his room for maneuvering, but stressed his commitment to
the people of South Africa. Comment. Zuma takes on an economy that
may already be in its first recession in 17 years. Despite fears
that internal political pressure would force him to pursue
left-leaning economic policies he maintains that he will not tamper
with existing fiscal policy. The fate of Finance Minister Trevor
Manuel, widely respected by financial markets, will also be closely
watched by investors hoping for continuity. End comment. Zuma will
be inaugurated on May 9 and Presidency spokesperson Thabo Masebe
confirmed that the composition of the Cabinet will be announced in
Pretoria a day after Zuma's inauguration. During his speech, Zuma
said his Cabinet will be ready to assume office by May 11.
7. (U) During his remarks, Zuma jokingly said he wants an honorary
life time membership in Parliament since he has been in and out of
Parliament several times, but is no longer a Member of Parliament
now that he has been elected President. Note. Zuma was forced to
resign as deputy head of state in 2005 after his financial adviser
CAPE TOWN 00000102 002 OF 002
was handed a 15-year prison sentence for bribery charges. Zuma has
been in and out of courtrooms over the last few years on charges of
corruption and money-laundering relating to the arms deal. His
supporters say the charges were politically motivated to prevent him
from becoming President, a claim the opposition dismisses. After an
internal struggle with then President Mbeki, Zuma was elected as
chairman of the ANC at the Polokwane conference in December 2007, a
move which ultimately resulted in the removal of Mbeki as President
in 2008. All charges against Zuma were dropped a few weeks before
the April 22 election, clearing the way for him to assume the
Presidency. End note.
.