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UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 PRETORIA 002656 
 
SENSITIVE BUT UNCLASSIFIED 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: KDEM PGOV ASEC SF POL PAS ECON
SUBJECT: SOUTH AFRICA POLITICAL NEWSLETTER 
DECEMBER 21-24 
 
PRETORIA 00002656  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 
------------- 
 
Groundswell of Opposition to Communists within ANC Reportedly 
Growing 
 
¶2. (SBU)  Mail and Guardian reports that the booing of ANC Youth 
League President Julius Malema by delegates at the South African 
Communist Party's [SACP] special conference in Polokwane has 
intensified a "groundswell" of opposition to communists within the 
ANC.  The report notes that the growing hostility towards the left 
is manifested by the mounting pressure on Gwede Mantashe to choose 
between his two roles -- as ANC secretary general and as the SACP 
chairperson.  The ANC Youth League (ANCYL) accused Mantashe of 
failing to defend Malema because of his conflicting roles, something 
that ANC deputy president Kgalema Motlanthe has acknowledged as a 
concern.  ANC president Jacob Zuma has instructed the delegation to 
the conference to submit a full report on the booing incident to 
enable the NEC to engage the SACP early next year.  The notion that 
the leftist alliance partners are bent on seizing control of the ANC 
has long caused tensions within the ANC-led alliance.  There are 
rumors as of December 24 that there are going to be special 
"Christmas meetings" between member of the ruling alliance to work 
through differences ahead of the ANC's anniversary celebrations on 
January 9.  [Johannesburg Mail & Guardian in English -- 
privately-owned weekly investigative newspaper] 
 
------------------ 
International News 
------------------ 
 
¶3. (SBU) Begin text of President Zuma's Address to UN Climate Change 
Summit 
 
18 DECEMBER 2009 Excellencies, Your Majesties, We have all gathered 
here because we understand the enormous challenge we face as a 
result of climate change. A lot of work has been done over a period 
of time by our negotiators as well as the United Nations to assist 
the world to reach agreement.  Climate change is a practical matter 
for the developing world, especially Africa.  For countries such as 
South Africa, weather patterns in coastal provinces are already 
wreaking havoc on the lives of our people, which makes this 
challenge a reality that we are already confronting. 
 
 
We came here knowing that reaching an agreement would be critical 
for future generations to avoid fundamental and irreversible changes 
in climate.  We knew that the outcome of this Conference would have 
to give effect to the principle of common but differentiated 
responsibility enshrined in the UN Framework Convention on Climate 
Change.  Some facts are already well known. Developed countries are 
historically responsible for 80 percent of the current emissions in 
the atmosphere.  Developing countries are most affected by climate 
change. As they justifiably pursue their own development paths, it 
is expected that developing countries' emissions will increase.  In 
the long-term, we need an agreement that recognizes the common 
responsibility of all nations to reduce emissions, while not 
retarding the development of developing countries.  Our view remains 
that all developed countries must commit to ambitious, legally 
Qthat all developed countries must commit to ambitious, legally 
binding emission reduction targets, in with historical 
responsibility and in line with needs of science. Developing 
countries should commit to nationally appropriate mitigation action, 
to achieve a decline in emissions relative to business as 
usual.  This would be conditional on finance, technology and 
capacity building support from developed countries.  Developing 
countries are ready to play their part in reducing global emissions, 
but obviously rich 
countries have to take the lead. With financial and technological 
support from developed countries, South Africa for example will be 
able to reduce emissions by 34% below 'business as usual' levels by 
2020 and by 42% by 2025.  We wanted a complete, legally binding 
agreement, but accept the progress that has been made in COP 15.  We 
support the fact that parties will continue negotiating two 
complementary binding instruments: one under the UN Convention and 
one under the Kyoto Protocol. We have made progress in that we have 
been able to isolate the areas of agreement and disagreement.  We 
need to move with speed to finalise the areas of disagreement, in 
order to conclude a legally binding agreement for the sake of future 
generations. We, the leaders of the world, need to seize our 
 
PRETORIA 00002656  002.2 OF 002 
 
 
historical responsibility to act now to safeguard the future of 
humanity and the planet it inhabits.  We owe it to current and 
future 
generations.  I thank you. 
 
End Text. 
 
"Marooned" Rival Madagascar Political Negotiators To Return To 
Country on December 18 
 
¶4.  (SBU)  AFP reports that Madagascar's rival opposition leaders 
were allowed to return to the country on 18 December after being 
"marooned" in Mozambique last week.  The opposition leaders were 
prevented from flying home following a series of talks in the 
capital Maputo on the sharing of transitional government posts in a 
bid to solve the island nation's political crisis.  Andry Rajoelina, 
who seized power with the backing of the army last March, boycotted 
the talks, reacting "furiously" against an arrangement that he 
claimed demoted him to the same level as other faction leaders.  His 
rivals were reportedly due to fly back to Madagascar on a specially 
chartered Air Madagascar plane on 15 December, but this flight was 
not authorized by the civil aviation authority.  Rajoelina announced 
that parliamentary elections will be held in March 2010. [AFP (World 
Service) in English -- world news service of the independent French 
news agency Agence France Presse] 
 
Gips