SOUTH AFRICA POLITICAL NEWSLETTER OCTOBER 5-OCTOBER 9

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 PRETORIA 002070 SENSITIVE SIPDIS E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: KDEM PGOV ASEC SF POL PAS ECON SUBJECT: SOUTH AFRICA POLITICAL NEWSLETTER OCTOBER 5-OCTOBER 9 PRETORIA 00002070 001.2 OF 002 ¶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 -------------- RSA: Convicted Drug Dealer Gives 'Damning' Evidence against Former Police Chief ¶2. (U) Pretoria News reported on 7 October that convicted drug trafficker Glenn Agliotti led damning evidence against one-time friend, former police chief Jackie Selebi, yesterday [6 Oct], detailing how approximately R1 million was made in corrupt payments. The Johannesburg High Court also heard more claims made against former chief prosecutor Bulelani Ngcuka. Agliotti's friendship with Selebi was a lucrative investment that earned him millions - if his testimony is to be believed. As the self-appointed gatekeeper to the country's former top cop, Agliotti commanded massive "consultancy fees" from the Kebble family and former fugitive businessman Billy Rautenbach. [Pretoria Pretoria News Online in English -- Website of local daily, privately owned by Independent Newspaper Company; URL: http://www.pretorianews.co.za/] Minister Blames Protests on Mismanagement, Fraud ¶3. (U) Financial mismanagement, fraud, and corruption in all three spheres of government are partly to blame for the wave of service delivery protests, according to Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs Deputy Minister Yunus Carrim. He told a public forum on October 6 that service delivery is unlikely to improve unless the financial management of municipalities is improved. Carrim's remarks come after a number of service delivery protests in Sakhile and Buhle Pak. (October, 6, 2009) Civil Society Welcomes Government's Handling of AIDS Crisis ¶4. (U) The AIDS Law Project has welcomed government's recent admission that the AIDS pandemic in this country is not being properly tackled. Earlier this week, Health Minister Aaron Motsoaledi released a 2008 survey on the prevalence of HIV/AIDS in pregnant women. The Survey revealed around 29 percent of pregnant women are HIV-positive. In response to the survey's release, the AIDS Law Project said it was encouraged by Motsoaledi's admission that the situation is serious and praised his approach in contrast to the previous Health Minister. (Eyewitness, October, 07, 2009) -------------- International News -------------- Human Rights Watch Wants SAG Involvement in Congo (Kinshasa) ¶5. (U) Human Rights Watch has urged the South African Government to re-engage in Congo (Kinshasa) to help stop an increasing epidemic of violence against civilians in the unstable east of the country. (IOL, October 7) Motlanthe Travels to Sweden ¶6. (U) Deputy President Kgalema Motlanthe visited Sweden beginning on October 9, holding meetings with Swedish officials and attending the Olof Palme Day Conference in Stockholm. (The Presidency, October 7) SAG Prepares for Zuma's Visit to Brazil ¶7. (U) Department of International Relations and Cooperation (DIRCO) Minister Maite Nkoana-Mashabane departed for Brazil on October 6 to prepare for President Jacob Zuma's state visit held from October 8-9. Zuma's visit takes place within the context of consolidating Q8-9. Zuma's visit takes place within the context of consolidating South-South cooperation, strengthening the existing bilateral ties and regional partnership, and deepening cooperation on the trilateral and multilateral levels between South Africa and Brazil. Two agreements are expected to be signed, including a memorandum between the respective Departments of Trade and Industry on the Promotion of Trade and Investment and an agreement on sports cooperation for the years 2009-2011 between the respective Ministries of Sport. (DIRCO Briefings, October 6-7) DIRCO Deputy Off on European Tour ¶8. (U) DIRCO Deputy Minister Sue van der Merwe arrived in Belgium on October 5 on a tri-nation visit that includes stops in Lithuania PRETORIA 00002070 002.2 OF 002 and Latvia. In Belgium, van der Merwe will meet with EU senior officials and focus on relations between the Southern African Customs Union and the European Union, the Climate Summit to be held in Copenhagen, and South African Partnership Development Agency. Van der Merwe's visit to Lithuania comes within the context of strengthening bilateral relations, consolidating current trade and economic co-operation, and deepening multilateral cooperation between South Africa African and Lithuania. In addition, the visit is aimed at mapping out a well-defined co-operative framework between the two countries. Four draft Bilateral Agreements between South Africa and Lithuania are presently under consideration. Van der Merwe's last stop, to Latvia, will include a meeting with State Secretary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Andries Teikmanis. Van der Merwe's visit takes place within the context of consolidating bilateral relations and promoting bilateral economic relations; a number of bilateral agreements between the two countries remain under consideration. (DIRCO Briefing, October 5) RSA: Trade Minister Says Doha Round Must Consider Needs of Developing Countries ¶9. (U) SAPA reported on 5 October that Minister of Trade and Industry Rob Davies said the current trade-negotiation round of the World Trade Organization (WTO),the Doha round, must take into account the needs of developing countries. "We are not demanding a particular time period... rather we want the deal to be faithful to the mandate of development," he told the media in Johannesburg after his recent visit to the US to attend a business summit. Davies said their major focus was now on South-South trade. [Description of Source: Johannesburg SAPA in English -- Cooperative, nonprofit national news agency, South African Press Association; URL: http://www.sapa.org.za] Mugabe Says Zimbabwe Ready To Establish 'Fresh' Relations With West ¶10. (U) On 6 October Zimbabwe President Robert Mugabe said that his country was ready for "fresh and cooperative relations" with Western nations that have spearheaded global condemnation of his rule, reported AFP. "Our country remains in a positive stance to enter into fresh and cooperative relations with all those countries that have been hostile to us in the past," he said in opening a new session of parliament. "Our re-engagement with the EU bloc is gathering momentum," he added. [Description of Source: Paris AFP (World Service) in English -- world news service of the independent French news agency Agence France Presse]