SOUTH AFRICA POLITICAL NEWSLETTER FEBRUARY 6-FEBRUARY 12

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 PRETORIA 000352 SENSITIVE BUT UNCLASSIFIED SIPDIS E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PGOV ASEC KDEM SF SUBJECT: SOUTH AFRICA POLITICAL NEWSLETTER FEBRUARY 6-FEBRUARY 12 PRETORIA 00000352 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 -------------- PAC to call for the removal of President Zuma ¶2. (SBU) The Pan Africanist Congress (PAC) is calling for the removal of President Jacob Zuma. Spokesperson Mfanelo Skwatsha told reporters that President Zuma has moved South Africa from being a miracle country to an international joke. "His bad behavior has caused a great deal of embarrassment to the country and in the eyes of the international community," said Skwatsha. The PAC has directed all its public representatives and the public to pass a vote of no confidence in Zuma. The party said it would support the motion of no confidence, which the Congress of the people (COPE) said it would introduce in Parliament during the State of the Nation Address debate this week. (Sowetan, February, 15, 2010) New land tenure policy ¶3. (SBU) The government will introduce a new draft policy on land tenure this year aimed at speeding up its program to give land to landless black people. Rural Development and Land Affairs Minister Gugile Nkwinti said his department was working on a policy framework that would set out how the government should go about reversing inequalities in land ownership between black people and people. According to Nkwinti, the department of Rural Development and Land Affairs will table a green paper and will open the debate about reviewing the whole land tenure system in South Africa. Nkwinti told reporters that there must be a debate on the 87% to 13% split in land ownership in South Africa. The expropriation Bill was submitted to Parliament in 2008 as part of efforts to speed up the land-reform program, but it was put on hold after opposition parties, farmers' bodies and other civic groups protested, arguing it was unconstitutional. Nkwinti said the proposed Expropriation Act was being reworked by the Department of Public Works in conjunction with his ministry and would be tabled in Parliament later this year. (Mail and Guardian, 14 February, 2010) COPE and DA MP's Walk Out of Parliament ¶4. (SBU) Congress of the People (Cope) and the Democratic Alliance (DA) staged a walkout in Parliament, after deputy speaker Nomaindia Mfeketo ruled Cope's Mluleki George out of order. Deputy Speaker Nomaindia Mfeketo excused Cope MP Mluleki George out of the chamber because he refused to withdraw a statement he made during the State of the Nation debate that "with Zuma at the helm, South Africans are leaderless." Mfeketo refused to entertain Cope and the DA's insistent calls for a debate on the statement. The DA and Cope then staged a walkout after George was ejected from the house. (Eyewitness, February, 16, 2010) Nationalization is Not Government Policy says Zuma ¶5. (SBU) Jacob Zuma repeated firmly on Tuesday that nationalization is not government policy. Replying to the debate on his State of the Nation address in the National Assembly, Zuma said, "We have noted that political formations, including the ruling party's youth league, have decided to debate the matter. This is a democratic Qleague, have decided to debate the matter. This is a democratic society, and as government, we cannot stop political formations from debating issues." Departing from his prepared text, the president urged those who object to nationalization to argue their case with the African National Congress Youth League (ANCYL),instead of asking the party leadership to silence Julius Malema. He also told MPs that creating decent work remains at the centre of the government's economic policies, and he pointed out that the short-term public works measures embarked on to assist people to survive the recession do not replace the jobs that must be created by the formal economy. (Mail and Guardian, February, 16, 2010) COSATU Says Zuma Fails to Brief Allies on 'Vision' ¶6. (SBU) On February 15, the Sowetan reported that labor federation COSATU [Congress of South African Trade Unions] claimed President Jacob Zuma is treating workers the same way former president Thabo Mbeki treated them, charging that Zuma kept his allies in the dark about the content of his State of the Nation Address on Thursday. Cosatu bosses said although Zuma did not brief them about his vision for 2010, they assumed he would steer his government and the economy towards a developmental path that would create more jobs. Cosatu spokesperson Patrick Craven told Sowetan the union was in the dark about Zuma's vision for 2010 and did not know what Finance Minister Pravin Gordhan's Budget speech had in store. Cosatu president S'dumo Dlamini said Zuma's address exposed the lack of communication between the government and the tripartite alliance. "The speech exposes that there is a lack of communication and all of us must work harder." [Description of Source: Johannesburg Sowetan Online in English -- privately-owned weekday regional newspaper targeting a mainstream black audience and supportive of government policies; Internet: PRETORIA 00000352 002.2 OF 002 http://www.sowetan.co.za] Police Minister Warns Reservists Threatening To Disrupt 2010 World Cup ¶7. (SBU) On 14 February Sunday Times Online reported that Minister of Police Nathi Mthethwa warned police reservists threatening to disrupt the World Cup in June if they do not get jobs that he will not tolerate "such rubbish". Writing on the party's website, ANC Today, Mthethwa says the South African Police Service would not compromise its minimum recruitment standards to accommodate militant reservists demanding full-time positions. "We cannot and will not compromise on the integrity of the police force for the sake of appeasing those reservists who have failed to meet the basic criteria and want to hold the process hostage," he wrote. [Description of Source: Johannesburg Sunday Times Online in English -- Website of privately owned Sunday newspaper; URL: http://www.thetimes.co.za/] -------------- International News -------------- European Union Extends Sanctions Against Zimbabwe ¶7. (SBU) State media reported that the European Union decided to extend sanctions against Zimbabwe for another year. The sanctions were imposed in 2002 in reaction to allegations of electoral rigging and human rights abuses by President Robert Mugabe. They include a ban on the sale of weapons that can be used for internal repression. The sanctions also prevent Mugabe and his allies from traveling to EU states and impose an asset freeze on people and firms supporting the Zimbabwean Government. [Description of Source: Johannesburg SABC 2 Television in English -- multi-lingual national public service television channel, nominally independent but partially funded by government] Zanu-PF to Stall Talks until EU Sanctions Are Lifted ¶8. (SBU) Zimbabwe's Zanu-PF party says it will not make further concessions to the Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) until sanctions imposed by the European Union (EU) are lifted. The EU decided to extend by a year its sanctions on President Robert Mugabe and his inner circle. The EU restrictions are at the centre of a deadlock in the talks. The sanctions bar Mugabe and his aides are from travelling to EU member states and assets held in the zone are frozen. The measures also include an arms embargo. It is reported that the EU is not satisfied with the implementation of the truce agreement that forms the basis of the country's unity government. The MDC says the EU decision points to the need to cleanse the coalition of its demons, by fully implementing the truce agreement. As for the talks, the party says they were headed for a dead-end, even before the extension. (SABCNEWS, February, 16, 2010) Military Exercise with Germany ¶9. (SBU) SABC News reported on 15 February that four German navy warships have docked at Simon's Town to participate in a military training exercise with the South African Navy. The ongoing exercise is aimed at sharpening the South African navy's capabilities to safeguard the country's territorial waters during the soccer world cup and beyond. The German warships arrived at Simon's Town naval base carrying over 600 naval crew. They were welcomed with a 21 gun salute in true military style. "It coincided with 2010 which we welcome - it enables us, as a force preparation exercise, to ensure that we are ready for 2010. So we welcome them back here," says SA Navy Task Group Commander Captain Kavin Packer. [Description of Source: Johannesburg SABC News in QKavin Packer. [Description of Source: 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] GIPS