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UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 PRETORIA 002503 
 
SENSITIVE BUT UNCLASSIFIED 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: KDEM PGOV ASEC SF POL PAS ECON
SUBJECT: SOUTH AFRICA POLITICAL NEWSLETTER NOVEMBER 30-DECEMBER 4 
 
PRETORIA 00002503  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. 
 
------------------ 
International News 
------------------ 
 
US Envoy Reaffirms Commitment to Helping RSA in 'War' against 
HIV/AIDS 
 
 
¶2. (SBU)  Pretoria News reports that the U.S. has announced that it 
will provide an additional R900 million to South Africa to help 
address the stock shortages that have arisen from the new demand for 
ARVs.  The announcement comes as South Africa commemorates World 
Aids Day on 1 December 2009.  This one-time funding supplement will 
assist the Department of Health and provincial governments to meet 
their goals for antiretroviral treatments and to help build capacity 
in the provinces for planning and forecasting ARV needs.  This 
includes working with health clinics, doctors, nurses and community 
NGOs to assess and build up skill bases in areas where gaps exist. 
In total, the US government has contributed more than R10 billion 
over the last five years to groups trying to neutralize the deadly 
effects of HIV/Aids in South Africa. [Description of source: 
Pretoria News Online in English -- Website of local daily, privately 
owned by Independent Newspaper Company; URL: 
http://www.pretorianews.co.za/ 
 
 
Zuma's Advisor Implicated in Equatorial Guinea 
 
¶3. (SBU)  City Press reports that one of President Jacob Zuma's key 
advisers has emerged as the central figure in allegations that the 
South African government gave tacit support to the Equatorial Guinea 
coup plot of 2004.  In an exclusive interview with City Press last 
week, freed mercenary Niek du Toit claimed he had taken part in the 
plot after receiving assurances from a friend that Ayanda Dlodlo, 
then a deputy director in charge of strategy for the Scorpions, and 
now Zuma's parliamentary counselor, "said we should go ahead because 
they want to catch the people financing the coup".  Although Dlodlo 
confirmed that Du Toit's friend, former apartheid military 
intelligence officer, Henri van der Westhuizen, had approached her 
about the plot, she denied giving him or the coup plotters any 
assurances of support and referred Van der Westhuizen to then 
National Director of Public Prosecutions Bulelani Ngcuka.  They 
reportedly met on 18 February 2004, but the former prosecutions 
chief denied their discussion had anything to do with the coup. The 
plot was foiled less than a month later when a planeload of 
mercenaries was detained in Harare and Du Toit and a number of 
others were arrested in Equatorial Guinea's capital, Malabo. 
[Description of source: Johannesburg City Press in English -- 
privately-owned regional weekly newspaper with a majority black 
readership] 
 
South Africa Reviews Relations with Cuba 
 
¶4. (SBU)  Department of International Relations and Cooperation 
(DIRCO) Minister Maite Nkoana-Mashabane attended the sixth South 
African-Cuba Joint Binational Commission December 1-2 in Cuba. 
Nkoana-Mashabane was hosted by her Cuban counterpart Marcello Medina 
Gonzalez and both reviewed the status of SA-Cuban relations. 
Nkoana-Mashabane indicated that Zuma would pay a State Visit to Cuba 
QNkoana-Mashabane indicated that Zuma would pay a State Visit to Cuba 
in the first half of 2010 after receiving an invitation from current 
Cuban President Raul Castro.  (DIRCO Briefing, December 2) 
 
Zuma Attends Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting 
 
¶5. (SBU)  Zuma from November 27-29 attended the Commonwealth Heads 
of Government Meeting in Trinidad and worked with other nations to 
bolster North-South cooperation in areas such as climate change, 
sustenance of biodiversity, and conservation of water resources. 
Nkoana-Mashabane and the newly appointed South African High 
Commissioner to the United Kingdom, Ambassador Zola Skweyiya, 
supported Zuma at the meeting.  (DIRCO Briefing, November 27) 
 
Zuma Discusses Improved Treatment of HIV/AIDS with Bill Gates 
 
¶6. (SBU)  Zuma and Deputy President Kgalema Motlanthe on December 2 
met with philanthropist Bill Gates to discuss critical matters 
relating to improving South Africa's policy toward HIV/AIDS.  Zuma 
and Gates discussed the need to scale up the prevention of the 
virus, especially after the announcements made by the President on 
World Aids Day.  (Note:  Zuma promised expanded treatment for 
HIV/AIDS patients in a speech on December 1.  End Note.)  (The 
 
PRETORIA 00002503  002.2 OF 002 
 
 
Presidency, December 2) 
 
------------- 
Domestic News 
------------- 
 
Government Claims "Readiness" to Deal with 2010 Visitors 
 
¶7. (SBU)  Deputy Home Affairs Minister Malusi Gigaba stated that 
South Africa's ports of entry were ready to deal with a spike in 
traffic during the 2010 FIFA World Cup.  He added that security 
would be intensified and at least 150 immigration officers would be 
deployed to priority areas as well as mobile units being deployed at 
the Beitbridge and Lebombo border posts to ease the congestion as 
foreigners make their way home in time for the holidays and for the 
2010 World Cup.  Gigaba also said there was still no set date on 
which the South African National Defense Force (SANDF) would take 
over borderline control and protection from the South African Police 
Services (SAPS).  (Early Warning News, December 3) 
 
 
Young Communist League Wants Mbeki to Take Blame for HIV/AIDS 
Crisis 
 
¶8. (SBU)  Health Minister Aaron Motsoaledi on December 1 released 
statistics of the AIDS pandemic in South Africa, which led to the 
Young Communist League (YCL) blaming former President Thabo Mbeki 
for the crisis.  The League has called for a state-led judicial 
commission to be established that would hold Mbeki and former Health 
Minister Manto Tshabalala-Msimang accountable for the deaths of HIV 
positive people who were denied ARVs.  The African National Congress 
Youth League has rejected calls from the YCL for Mbeki to be blamed. 
 Senior government officials so far have remained silent on the 
issue.  (Mail & Guardian, December 2) 
 
Selebi Trial Postponed Until February 
 
¶9. (SBU)  The trial against former National Police Commissioner 
Jackie Selbi has been postponed until February 1, 2010 to allow 
state officials time to challenge a decision to compel former 
National Intelligence Coordinator Barry Gilder to testify.  The 
State Security ministry announced plans to petition the Supreme 
Court of Appeal to prevent Gilder from taking the stand, arguing his 
testimony could compromise national security.  Public prosecutor 
Gerrie Nel, however, has insisted that the testimony the state wants 
from Gilder is already in the public domain.  The ministry's legal 
counsel, Advocate Marumo Moerane, has argued that the prosecution's 
petition is a matter of principle, as forcing Gilder to testify 
could set a precedent.  According to news reports, Nel wants to 
question Gilder about the existence of a draft intelligence report 
which the State believes Selebi showed his friend turned state 
witness, convicted drug dealer Glenn Agliotti.  (News 24, December 
3) 
Gips