SOUTH AFRICA POLITICAL NEWSLETTER FEBRUARY 6-FEBRUARY 12

UNCLAS PRETORIA 000310 SENSITIVE BUT UNCLASSIFIED SIPDIS E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PGOV ASEC KDEM SF SUBJECT: SOUTH AFRICA POLITICAL NEWSLETTER FEBRUARY 6-FEBRUARY 12 ¶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 -------------- Gay Rights Groups Protest Appointment of Qwelane as Ambassador to Uganda ¶2. (SBU) Gay and Lesbian rights groups gathered outside Parliament on February 12, the day after President Zuma's State of the Nation address, to protest the appointment of John Qwelane as South Africa's Ambassador to Uganda. Columnist Qwelane is facing charges of hate speech for comparing homosexuality to bestiality in one of his columns. Gay and lesbian rights groups called the appointment of Qwelane, at a time when Uganda is considering further steps to criminalize homosexuality, a step backward in the fight against homophobia. News of Zuma Love-Child Sparks Outrage ¶3. (SBU) Public outrage over news reports that President Zuma fathered an out-of-wedlock child undercut planned atmospherics for the annual State of the Nation address, timed to take full advantage of the twentieth anniversary of Nelson Mandela's release. News of Zuma's 4-month-old daughter, the 20th child for the 67-year-old president, born to the daughter of a top World Cup organizer, generated headlines that continued for days in the run-up to the State of the Union. Initially addressing the "love-child issue" as a personal matter, Zuma issued a statement of apology on February 6, saying he regretted the pain he had caused the nation. -------------- International News -------------- ¶4. (SBU) The South African government has been ordered by a Pretoria High Court judge to pay damages to a South African farmer, farming in Zimbabwe, for not protecting South Africans from Robert Mugabe's land expropriations. Free State farmer Crawford von Abo, who began farming in Zimbabwe 50 years ago, was arrested for "trespassing" on his one of his 11 farms in 1997 and even spent time in a Zimbabwean jail as Zanu-PF cracked down on white farmers and expropriated their land. The damages are estimated to be as high as R100 million. Judge Bill Prinsloo ruled then that the government should, within 60 days, take all necessary steps to have Von Abo's violation of his rights remedied and to report back to court about the steps it had taken. (IOL, February 9) ¶5. (SBU) Zimbabwe's Co-Ministers of Home Affairs on Saturday February 6, urged thousands of Zimbabweans living in South Africa to return home and help rebuild the country's economy. Addressing a gathering in Johannesburg, Ministers Kembo Mohadi (Zanu-PF) and Giles Mutsekwa (MDC-T) said the government was ready to drop all charges against political activists and specified business people who are currently living outside the country. Unemployment in Zimbabwe however, remains over 90 percent. (Zimbabwe Weekly Summary, February 8) ¶3. (SBU) Parliamentary speaker Max Sisulu led a parliamentarian delegation to Iran as part of enhancing bilateral relations between the two parliaments. Both South Africa and Iran are members of the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU). The South African delegation consisted of Ms. M. Oliphant, house chair of international Qconsisted of Ms. M. Oliphant, house chair of international relations, and members of parliament, former Western Cape Premier Ebrahim Rasool, as well as supporting staff. (Parliament, February 8) GIPS