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UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 PRETORIA 001657 
 
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E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: KDEM PGOV ASEC SF POL PAS ECON
SUBJECT: SOUTH AFRICA POLITICAL NEWSLETTER AUGUST 9-AUGUST 15 
 
PRETORIA 00001657  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 
------------- 
 
Attempts to Address Ministerial Spending 
¶2. (U) Minister of Finance Pravin Gordhan has tabled a draft report 
that addresses public concerns over large expenditure by government 
ministers.  The report was completed by a ministerial task team 
mandated to develop concrete proposals and guidelines that would 
ensure all spheres of government reduce wasteful expenditure and 
divert spending to new areas.  The report calls for a reduction in 
the amount of press advertising bought by government bodies, and on 
spending on ministerial vehicles.  The report also suggests that the 
travel budgets - especially international travels - by departments 
and ministers be cut down, from four officials to one official per 
trip.  The task team consists of Gordhan, Minister of Monitoring and 
Evaluation in the Presidency Collins Chabane, and Minister for 
Public Service and Administration Richard Baloyi.  (New24.com, 
August, 13, 2009) 
Manuel Calls for More Transparency in the MPC 
¶3. (U)  Minister in the National Planning Commission, Trevor Manuel, 
has asked for minutes of the Reserve Bank's Monetary Policy 
Committee (MPC) meetings to be published.  He made the call as the 
MPC prepares to announce its decision on interest rates.   Manuel 
first made the appeal a few years ago while he was still Finance 
Minister, in the interests of transparency.  (SABCNEWS, August, 13, 
2009) 
 
Call for Fresh Schabir Shaik Probe 
¶4. (U)  Questions have surfaced again about the conditions of 
Schabir Shaik's medical parole.  This comes after he was allegedly 
seen driving around in Durban in his black BMW on Monday. Shaik, the 
former financial adviser to President Jacob Zuma, was released on 
medical parole after serving only two years and four months of a 15 
year prison term for fraud and corruption.  Shaik has denied reports 
that he was driving around in Durban.  Correctional services 
officials also denied the allegations and said that they were 
confident that Shaik did not break his parole conditions. 
(NEWS24.com, August, 12,2009) 
SA to Build New Prisons 
 
 
¶5. (U)  South Africa wants to build seven new generation prisons to 
help ease chronic overcrowding in its jails.  Correctional Services 
Minister Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula reported on Thursday that the 
department of Correctional Services has designed new generation 
prisons.  The new prisons are meant to facilitate rehabilitation, 
and differ from the old prisons which were primarily used to 
warehouse inmates.  The minister said the Kimberley Correctional 
Centre, would be the country's first new generation prison and will 
be completed in January 2010.  The prisons will be built at a cost 
estimated of R700-million; similar prisons will be built in 
Klerksdorp, Nigel, East London and Paarl by 2012.  (The Star, August 
13, 2009) 
 
Creating a Blue Print for Municipalities 
 
¶6. (U)  Local Government and Traditional Affairs MEC Nomusa Dube 
announced that her department will undertake a comparative analysis 
of the state of municipalities in the country.  This comes after 
Qof the state of municipalities in the country.  This comes after 
reports that over 17 municipalities in Kwazulu- Natal are 
inefficient, with no sources of revenue and limited capacity to 
deliver services to their communities.  The assessment also comes 
amid calls for the review of municipal functions.  The minister 
hopes the study will produce "a blueprint" for an ideal 
municipality.  (The Star, August 13, 2009)------------------ 
International News 
------------------ 
 
Motlanthe Goes to Zimbabwe 
 
¶7. (U)  Deputy President Kgalema Motlanthe attended the funeral of 
the late Zimbabwean Vice-President Joseph Msika this week. 
President Zuma issued a condolence message, stating that the death 
of Msika was a painful loss to the people of Zimbabwe and the 
Southern African Development Community (SADC).  (DFA briefing, 
August 10) 
 
SA Regrets Decision by Myanmar Authorities 
 
¶8. (U)  South Africa joined the international community in 
 
PRETORIA 00001657  002.2 OF 002 
 
 
condemning the decision made by the authorities in Myanmar to 
convict opposition leader Aung Sen Suu Kyi on charges of subversion. 
 
 This statement was issued by Deputy Minister of International 
Relations and Cooperation (DICO) Ebrahim Ebrahim.  (DFA briefing, 
August 11) 
 
DICO Minister Hosts a South African Heads of Mission Conference 
 
¶9. (U)  Minister Maite Nkoana-Mashabane began a three-day conference 
for South African Heads of Missions.  This is the first such 
conference since the election. Zuma, Manuel, Gordhan and Rural 
Development and Land Reform Minister Gugile Nkwinti are expected to 
address the conference.  The current DICO minister will host a 
dinner for Former DICO Minister Dlamini-Zuma.  (DFA briefing, August 
13) 
 
Desmond Tutu Receives Presidential Medal of Freedom from American 
President Barack Obama 
 
¶10. (U) Archbishop Emeritus Desmond Tutu received the medal from 
President Barack Obama yesterday the 12th at a ceremony held at the 
White House.  Tutu dedicated his medal to all South Africans who 
fought for freedom and justice.  The Presidential Medal of Freedom 
is the highest civilian award in the US, and is not limited to US 
citizens or civilians.  (Mail and Guardian, August 13) 
 
Zimbabwe Requests More Financial Aid From SA 
 
¶11. (U)  Zimbabwean Finance Minister Tendai Biti confirmed that the 
Zimbabwean government had requested more financial assistance from 
the South African government.  This comes two weeks after DICO 
revealed that it had transferred two thirds of the R300 million it 
pledged to assist the power-sharing government earlier this year. 
Zimbabwe wants a further R300 million from the SA government. 
(Zimbabwean Independent, August 12) 
 
La Lime