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UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 PRETORIA 002070 
 
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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]