SOUTH AFRICA POLITICAL NEWSLETTER DECEMBER 14-DECEMBER 18

UNCLAS PRETORIA 002606 SENSITIVE BUT UNCLASSIFIED SIPDIS E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: KDEM PGOV ASEC SF POL PAS ECON SUBJECT: SOUTH AFRICA POLITICAL NEWSLETTER DECEMBER 14-DECEMBER 18 ¶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 -------------- Public Broadcaster Appoints Solly Mokoetle New Group Chief Executive Officer ¶2. (SBU) SAPA reported that the South African Broadcasting Corporation (SABC) appointed former Telkom Media chief content officer Solly Mokoetle as its group chief executive officer. "The decision to appoint Mr Mokoetle was based on his experience and a proven track record during the time when the SABC was profitable, making him the most suitable candidate," the broadcaster's interim board chairwoman Irene Charnley said. "The board is confident that his appointment will provide the required leadership to turn around the SABC while maintaining public broadcasting mandate." Mokoetle, who was the SABC's chief operations officer between 2001 and December 2006, takes office on January 1 on a five-year contract. His appointment followed a R11 million (approximately $7.5 million) settlement by the broadcaster to former CEO Dali Mpofu in August. [Description of Source: Johannesburg SAPA in English -- Cooperative, nonprofit national news agency, South African Press Association; URL: http://www.sapa.org.za] ANCYL Leaders Defy Zuma, Attack SACP for "Hostile" Treatment of Malema ¶3. (SBU) Provincial ANC Youth League leaders have rallied behind their humiliated leader, Julius Malema, calling on the ruling party to discipline senior South African Communist Party (SACP) leaders Blade Nzimande, Jeremy Cronin and Gwede Mantashe, reported IOL on December 14. The league's fresh broadside called for Mantashe's position as ANC secretary-general to be "reviewed" at the ANC's national general council next year. In clear defiance of ANC President Jacob Zuma's call for insults and name-calling to end, youth league firebrands referred to delegates at the party's special weekend congress in Polokwane as "well-briefed hooligans and dogs" for booing Malema on the first day of its meeting in Limpopo. Malema had been invited as a guest but was booed, along with ANC NEC member Billy Masetlha. Denied an opportunity to address delegates from the stage about the hostile reception they had received, Malema later stalked out. [Description of Source: Johannesburg IOL in English -- Independent Online, website carrying selected items from various publications, privately owned by Independent Newspaper Company; URL: http://www.iol.co.za] -------------- International News -------------- Zuma's Zimbabwe Facilitators "Optimistic" ZANU-PF Will Abide by Agreements ¶4. (SBU) The Star reported on December 15 that President Jacob Zuma's Zimbabwe facilitators remain convinced that Zanu-PF will stick to its agreements in the unity government, despite the weekend Zanu-PF congress resolution that the party would make no more concessions to its opponents. Lindiwe Zulu, Zuma's foreign policy adviser who serves on the Presidency's Zimbabwe facilitation team with former cabinet ministers Mac Maharaj and Charles Nqakula, said on December 14 that the congress resolution was cause for concern. Qon December 14 that the congress resolution was cause for concern. Nevertheless, she remained optimistic, based on the facilitation team's experience with Zanu-PF negotiations. "We truly believe that Zanu-PF signed up to agreements and has to stick to those agreements," she added. [Description of Source: Johannesburg The Star Online in English -- Internet version of weekday regional newspaper, privately owned by Independent Newspaper Company; URL: http://www.thestar.co.za/] Gips