SOUTH AFRICA POLITICAL NEWSLETTER AUGUST 2-AUGUST 8

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SUBJECT: SOUTH AFRICA POLITICAL NEWSLETTER AUGUST 2-AUGUST 8

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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.

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Domestic News
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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

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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)

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International News
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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

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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)