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UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 04 PRETORIA 002377 
 
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TAGS: KDEM PGOV ASEC SF POL PAS ECON
SUBJECT: SOUTH AFRICA POLITICAL NEWSLETTER NOVEMBER 16-NOVEMBER 20 
 
PRETORIA 00002377  001.2 OF 004 
 
 
¶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 
------------- 
 
Standard Bank Playing Politics? 
 
¶2. (U)  Businessman Saki Macozoma, Standard Bank's deputy 
chairperson of the board and active member of the Congress of the 
People (COPE), has been overlooked for the bank's chairperson 
position.  Various newspapers speculate that Macozoma was overlooked 
because of his involvement in COPE.  (Note:  Macozoma was rumored to 
have helped bankroll the party when it broke from the African 
National Congress last year.  End Note.)  Macozoma played a key part 
in blocking Nedbank's takeover bid for Standard Bank in 1999, and 
was widely expected to be the next chairperson.  (News24.com, 
November 17, 2009) 
 
Government to Fix Housing Mess 
 
¶3. (U)  The South African Government is planning to confiscate the 
assets of developers who built poor subsidized housing.  The 
Department of Human Settlements has had to demolish and rebuild 
10,000 houses because of poor construction.  Human Settlements 
Minister Tokyo Sexwale reported that millions of dollars are needed 
to rebuild defective houses.  (Note:  Most of the houses were built 
immediately after 1994 prior to the introduction of the National 
Home Builders Registration Council in 1997.  End Note.)  Sexwale 
laid the blame for these inferior houses on corruption by 
construction companies and government officials.  (Sowetan, November 
17, 2009) 
 
Pikoli Testifies Against Selebi 
 
¶4. (U)  Former Head of the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) Vusi 
Pikoli took the stand in Jackie Selebi's corruption trial on 
November 17.  Pikoli told the court how he was sidelined by former 
President Thabo Mbeki in a bid to protect Selebi from prosecution. 
Pikoli testified against the former commissioner and detailed how 
the investigation into his alleged corrupt activities began.  German 
South African businessman Jurgen Kogl also testified on November 17 
as his name was in an intelligence report tipping authorities off 
about the relationship between Selebi and late businessman Brett 
Kebble.  Kogl is also alleged to have laundered money paid to 
President Jacob Zuma by arms company Thint.  (New24.com, November 
17, 2009) 
 
Zuma Concedes Government's Promised 500,000 Jobs Target Not 
Reachable 
 
¶5. (U)  City Press reported on November 15 that President Zuma has 
conceded that his government will not be able to create the 500,000 
jobs he promised in his state of the nation address in June.  "Given 
the manner in which we are shedding jobs we will welcome any number 
of job opportunities created during this period.  Even 100,000 job 
opportunities can be considered a success," Zuma said.  He 
emphasized that the global economic crisis "has set back, at least 
for the moment, our efforts to tackle unemployment and poverty," and 
has "placed a greater burden on the State as we seek to alleviate 
the plight of the poor."  [Johannesburg City Press in English -- 
privately-owned regional weekly newspaper with a majority black 
readership] 
 
ANC Emerges as Economic Policy "Driver" at End of Three-Day Alliance 
QANC Emerges as Economic Policy "Driver" at End of Three-Day Alliance 
Summit 
 
 
¶6. (U)  Business Report stated on November 16 that the ANC and its 
alliance partners ended a three-day summit on 15 November in which 
the economic policy direction was the major issue of difference, but 
that "the party appears to have held its ground with broadly 
pro-free market policies supported at the meeting."  COSATU had 
wanted itself, the South African Communist Party and the ANC to 
jointly forge economic policies, "thus weakening the more 
conservative and pro-free market rump of the ANC, which supports 
inflation targeting, limited government spending and prudent 
monetary policies."  This followed "weeks of dissent" within the 
party over whether Economic Development Minister Ebrahim Patel, a 
former trade unionist with strong left-wing credentials, and his 
allies, including Higher Education Minister Blade Nzimande, who is 
the SACP general secretary, should play a stronger role in setting 
the alliance's policy goals.   However, it would appear that the 
 
PRETORIA 00002377  002.2 OF 004 
 
 
Left's desire to play an equal role with the ANC in determining 
policy did not succeed.  President Zuma reiterated his support for 
Manuel, giving him a vote of support to press ahead with a National 
Planning Commission.  [Website of business and financial 
publication, privately owned by Independent Newspaper Company; URL: 
http://www.businessreport.co.za/] 
 
ANC Members Shoot Each Other in Eastern Cape 
 
¶7. (U)  Eight African National Congress (ANC) members were wounded 
when a man with a rifle opened fire at Lusikisiki College in Eastern 
Cape Province.  The shooting was reported to be between rival 
members of the ANC in Lusikisiki and was caused by infighting within 
the party's local branch.  The gunman has been arrested.  The ANC in 
the Eastern Cape region told reporters they were investigating the 
incident.  (Eyewitness news, November 17, 2009) 
 
Disgruntled Youth Turn to the Streets in Gauteng 
 
¶8. (U)  Disgruntled youth in the National Youth Service (NYS) 
program protested outside the Gauteng Provincial legislature on 
November 18.  They accused the Gauteng government of failing to 
implement the program in ways that would allow them to benefit.  The 
NYS is a national program meant to train young people in order to 
enable them to play a role in social and economic issues.  The 
protesters accuse provincial officials of corruption, mismanagement, 
and ignoring the plight of the youth. According to protestors, there 
has been no training since the program was launched.  Police had to 
disperse the youth after they exceeded the three hour time limit 
allowed to for their protest.  (Sowetan, November 19, 2009) 
 
Soldiers to Patrol South African Borders 
 
¶9. (U)  South African soldiers, instead of police, will be deployed 
to patrol and protect South Africa's borders.  The government 
announced publicly that the South African National Defense Force 
(SANDF) members will be better placed to fight cross-border crime, 
which includes smuggling and illegal immigration.  Addressing a 
post-Cabinet briefing, government spokesperson Themba Maseko said 
soldiers will gradually replace the police both along the country's 
frontiers and at border posts.  He told reporters that there will be 
an intermediate phase when some sections of the border will be 
guarded by police and some guarded by the SANDF.  The Police began 
taking over responsibility from the army for border security five 
years ago but the move has been widely regarded as a mistake. 
(SABCNEWS, November 19, 2009) 
 
Police Commissioner Meets With Interpol Chief Ahead of 2010 World 
Cup 
 
¶10. (U)  The South African Press Agency reported that National 
Police Commissioner Bheki Cele met with Interpol Secretary General 
Ronald Noble on 17 November in Lyon, France, to discuss cooperation 
during the FIFA World Cup, police said.  Noble praised South 
Africa's ability to host international events saying, "South Africa 
can be proud of its past achievements, particularly in its ability 
to deliver major events without incidents, including its support in 
the latest ICC Cricket World Cup in the Caribbean," he said, 
referring to the South African Police Service (SAPS) assistance in 
probing the death of Pakistani cricket coach Bob Woolmer, who was 
found dead in his hotel room during the event.  Cele's office said 
Interpol would help the SAPS with passport control measures, 
screening travel documents against its international database.  "Mr. 
Noble further pledged that the full resources of Interpol will be 
QNoble further pledged that the full resources of Interpol will be 
made available to South Africa to support their security 
arrangements," Cele's office said.  Noble will visit South Africa in 
December this year.  [Cooperative, nonprofit national news agency, 
South African Press Association; URL: http://www.sapa.org.za] 
 
600 Foreigners Reportedly Flee Settlement in Western Cape Following 
Attacks 
 
¶11. (U)  According to the South African Press Agency, about 600 
foreigners were forced to flee their homes in informal settlements 
around De Doorns after angry residents destroyed their shacks 
accusing them of stealing their jobs, Western Cape police said. 
Superintendent Desmond van der Westhuizen said the locals were 
mainly targeting Zimbabweans, adding that the situation was tense 
but that there was no violence.  "They say that farm owners opt to 
hire foreigner because they are cheaper and South Africans demand 
more pay. The community says the Zimbabweans settle for less money, 
which is not true," he said. Van der Westhuizen said officials were 
still looking for alternative accommodation for those affected.  The 
attack resembled the wave of xenophobic violence which spread across 
the country in May last year.  [Cooperative, nonprofit national news 
agency, South African Press Association; URL: 
http://www.sapa.org.za] 
 
ANC Youth League Defends Former President Mbeki 
 
PRETORIA 00002377  003.2 OF 004 
 
 
 
¶12. (U) ANC Youth League (ANCYL) President Julius Malema, who 
severely criticized Mbeki before demanding the former President 
resign, defended him publicly after Young Communist League National 
Secretary Buti Manamela said Mbeki and former Health Minister Manto 
Tshabalala-Msimang should be charged with genocide for their policy 
of denying the link between HIV and AIDS.  Manamela said the two 
former leaders had denied many HIV-positive people access to 
anti-retroviral drugs while they were in government, which led to 
many thousands of deaths.  Malema said allowing Mbeki to stand trial 
would result in a number of African leaders facing trial for various 
crimes.  (SAPA, November 16) 
 
------------------ 
International News 
------------------ 
 
DIRCO Minister Concludes Her Visit to South Asia 
 
¶13. (U)  Department of International Relations and Cooperation 
(DIRCO) Minister Maite Nkoana-Mashabane concluded a three-day 
working visit to India on November 15.  Nkoana-Mashabane held 
several meetings with the business community in Mumbai as part of 
South Africa's efforts aimed at strengthening economic diplomacy. 
Nkoana-Mashabane paid a courtesy visit on Sonia Gandhi, President of 
the Indian Congress Party, and met with various senior government 
ministers.  The Ministerial visit to India was aimed at laying the 
foundation for President Zuma's state visit to India in 2010. 
(DIRCO Briefing, November 15) 
 
Ebrahim Ebrahim Going to South Korea 
 
¶14. (U) DIRCO Deputy Minister Ebrahim Ebrahim will be going to South 
Korea for the South Korea/Africa Forum in Seoul from November 23-25. 
In addition to attending the forum, Ebrahim will have a bilateral 
meeting with the South Korean Government.  (DIRCO Briefing, November 
15) 
 
Zuma to Attend Commonwealth Meeting in Trinidad and Tobago 
 
¶15. (U)  Both President Zuma and DIRCO Minister Nkoana-Mashabane 
will attend the Commonwealth Heads of Governments meeting (CHOGM) 
from 27-29 November in Trinidad and Tobago.  The CHOGM will be 
preceded by a ministerial meeting; issues to be discussed include 
climate change and the future of the Commonwealth.  (DIRCO Briefing, 
November 15) 
 
Government "Carefully" Probing Reports of Mercenaries Training 
Guinea Junta Recruits 
 
¶16. (U)  AFP reported on 17 November that DIRCO Director General 
Ayanda Ntsaluba said South Africa is "very carefully checking on the 
veracity" of reports that local mercenaries were training pro-junta 
recruits in Guinea.  Witnesses in Guinea reportedly told AFP that 
junta-hired South African and Israeli army instructors are "training 
recruits in a camp in Forecariah, 100 kilometres (60 miles) south of 
the capital Conakry."  Ntsaluba warned, "We do not want to see our 
citizens involved in nefarious activities abroad. These could 
undermine our foreign policy," he said.  Around 40 military 
instructors are training soldiers "recruited on the basis of their 
ethnicity" as they belonged to the same group as junta leader 
Captain Moussa Dadis Camara, witnesses said.  Observers allegedly 
accuse the junta, under increasing international pressure after the 
massacre of over 150 opposition supporters at a rally in September, 
of recruiting young men from Camara's home region close to Liberia 
and Sierra Leone.  Afrikaans daily Beeld reported on 18 November 
that according to Ntasluba, the South African legal position with 
regard to the prosecution of mercenaries is "unclear," adding that 
"it is true that the altered South African mercenary legislation was 
Q"it is true that the altered South African mercenary legislation was 
promulgated two years ago, but the regulations have not been 
published in the Government Gazette."  [World news service of the 
independent French news agency Agence France Presse; Pretoria Beeld 
in Afrikaans -- Privately-owned national daily newspaper, targeting 
liberal-minded Afrikaners] 
 
ANC Delegation to Tour China 
 
¶17. (SBU)  The ruling African National Congress (ANC) will be 
sending 20 senior leaders to China on an educational exchange 
program with the Communist Party of China.  The ANC's national 
leadership body released a statement saying that the program is the 
result of party-to-party relations with the Communist Party.  The 
delegation will be led by wealthy businessman Cyril Ramaphosa.  It 
is unclear who among the ANC's senior leadership will be involved in 
the program, but ANC parliamentarian Nyamni Booi said the delegation 
would travel to multiple cities to "train and educate" and would 
return to South Africa on December 4. 
 
¶18. (SBU)  The trip would follow a visit by Communist Party senior 
 
PRETORIA 00002377  004.2 OF 004 
 
 
official Zhou Yongkang, who arrived in Johannesburg on November 18 
on an official goodwill visit to South Africa.  Yongkang expected to 
meet with South African President Jacob Zuma and other senior 
government leaders. 
 
Inkatha Freedom Party Leader Meets with the Pope 
 
¶19. (U)  Inkatha Freedom Party (IFP) leader Prince Mangosuthu 
Buthelezi met with Pope Benedict XVI at the Vatican in Rome on 
November 18.  The meeting took place while Buthelezi was attending 
the 5th World Parliamentarians' Convention on Tibet attended by the 
Dalai Lama.  Buthelezi chaired a session of the 5th World Convention 
on how the world can support the cause of democracy and autonomy in 
Tibet which, as all parliamentarians agreed, coincides with the 
cause of democracy, autonomy and cultural diversity, anywhere in the 
world.  (IFP, November 19)