Geopolemics.com :: South Africa

Countries: South Africa
Posted on Wednesday, August 25, 2010 - 12:08 PM
	South Africa deservedly savours pride The soccer world-cup circus has left town and in the aftermath the nation is taking stock, on the whole pronouncing it to have been a success. This issue looks at much of the outfall of the international weeks, in which one of the most successful aspects was that the international following for the world’s most popular sport, and world TV had a good look at S Africa and its ability to organise such an immense event. They were undoubtedly impressed. But more than that, the world’s focus on the nation and its major cities has immensely improved the nation’s overseas image. Many of those who driven by the fixtures in different cities came to follow their national teams, will return for the unique vacations the country can offer. In addition, it will in future be taken seriously as a business destination by those apart from those in mining and minerals who know it well, previously might have thought it too raw or difficult a market. The consequences for South Africa are not only an improvement in economic circumstances, but also the enhancement of institutions that real democracies take for granted, such as the necessity to tackle public corruption. S Africa has some way to go on that but the test perhaps is not does corruption exist, but more significantly how do wrongdoers answer for their crimes? Only then do public office holders really understand that they are there to serve, not to exploit, either alone, or together with a coterie of likeminded low-principled opportunists. The big question that is being asked is can South Africa go a different and better route, having seen neighbouring Zimbabwe in the years since independence effectively implode, grinding down in every department of government, completely unable to modify the African big-man syndrome with the needs of a progressive 21st century nation state? Other stories that follow in this month’s issue illustrate the point. Once a case in S Africa gets to court, then there is a good chance of justice. The courts in many ways are more sophisticated and professional than the political system which is suffering all the problems of immaturity. But there is another problem arising to haunt the seekers of justice. The press is beginning to fill up with stories of threats to the ‘whistleblowers’ and the dangers to them, particularly those who have been instrumental in bringing ‘the great ones’ to trial. This is a new democracy and these painful lessons are par for the course in such a situation. The nation has had to overcome big problems before these – and may have to do so again. South Africa ex-Police Chief Selebi Jailed for 15 Years A South African court has sentenced former national police commissioner Jackie Selebi to 15 years in jail for corruption August 3. Judge Joffe Meyer said "You were an embarrassment to the office that you occupied" Selebi, a former president of Interpol, was convicted in July of receiving bribes from a drug dealer. Convicted dealer Glenn Agliotti paid Selebi 1.2m rand ($156,000; £103,000) to turn a blind eye to his business. Selebi is the most senior official appointed by the country's government to have been convicted of corruption. The sentence is the minimum recommended for senior police officers found guilty of corruption. Judge Joffe Meyer in the South Gauteng High Court in Johannesburg described Selebi as "an embarrassment" and a "stranger to the truth" in the witness box. "At no stage during the trial did the accused display any indication of remorse. The accused lied and fabricated evidence in an effort to escape the consequences of his conduct," the judge said. Selebi was given 14 days to file an appeal. During this time he will be free on bail. Wearing a grey suit and a light pink shirt, Selebi sat and listened to the 45-minute judgement without showing emotion. Inside the courtroom there was silence when the judge handed down sentence. There was no reaction from Selebi's family, including his wife. Minutes after Judge Meyer Joffe's ruling, Jackie Selebi's brother George protested to scores of journalists outside court that his brother had been sentenced by "an apartheid judge". Prosecutors said they hoped the sentence would "send a strong message that corruption will not the tolerated". Mr Selebi refused to comment. But now the man who for eight years was responsible for leading South Africa's fight against crime is destined for jail. The 60-year-old was well connected in the ruling African National Congress government. He was also a former president of the ANC Youth League, served as South Africa's representative at the UN and was a close ally of former President Thabo Mbeki. "The fall that the accused already had must have been one of the greatest falls known in our legal history," Selebi's defence lawyer Jaap Cilliers told a court hearing on Monday, as a judge considered Selebi's sentence. Selebi's defence team had asked the judge to consider a suspended jail term and a fine. He has already forfeited 320,722 rand ($43,800, £27,500) as the proceeds of crime. But prosecutors said Selebi had shown no remorse for his actions. "We don't have a fallen angel here. A fallen angel admits when they make a mistake," prosecutor Gerrie Nel had said. During the trial the court heard how Selebi had spent thousands of dollars on shopping sprees with the money he was given by Agliotti. Agliotti, who gave evidence against Selebi in return for immunity on bribery charges, is himself on trial for murdering a mining tycoon. The media are now drawing attention to the threats to whistleblowers in the high proflle cases in progress. There is clearly a distance to go before the rest of S. Africa’s criminal justice system can catch up with the mature processes of justice once a case comes to court. Zuma Link in Congo Oil Rights Case While the World Cup has helped the investment climate, it also helped obscure some apparent skulduggery. The latest example involved, again, the family of President Jacob Zuma. On July 9, the Democratic Republic of Congo announced that two companies, linked to the Zuma camp, had won rights to two converted oil blocks in the northeast. The blocks have long been claimed by Tullow Oil, a remarkable Irish company responsible for many discoveries on the continent. Tullow called the granting of the blocks a "smash-and-grab" by the Congolese government, and may try legal action. Zuma's nephew, Khulubuse Zuma, and his lawyer, Michael Hulley, were the signatories for the contracts, which were registered to British Virgin Island companies, themselves registered to another British Virgin Island company. Transparent this is not. Khulubuse Zuma is also involved with Nelson Mandela's grandson, Zondwa Mandela, in Aurora, which took control of the Grootvlei mine in Springs after the previous owner, Pamodzi Gold, was liquidated. The Department of Water Affairs has laid charges against the mine for illegal pumping. But the company has disregarded labour regulations without consequences. It's hard to overestimate how bad this habit, of associating legal rights in resources with personalities and not in terms of law, is for African development. It's one reason why the battle between Kumba and Imperial Crown Trading is so important. A slip here, and SA will be classified alongside the Congo for policy on commodity rights. The result is that some resources are never exploited. Iron ore exists the world over, but only Brazil and Australia, and to a lesser extent SA, have mastered the ability to supply customers. Attacks on Migrants President Jacob Zuma has entered the debate on the threat of xenophobic attacks on migrants from other African states by calling on South Africans to "isolate and report to the police those elements who may be seeking to sow mayhem in communities." In a statement issued from his office in Pretoria July 15, he said the World Cup had demonstrated that South Africans were "warm, peace-loving and hospitable." Their support for Ghana and other African teams had displayed "African unity in its true sense." He added: "Let us isolate all elements who may have sinister agendas, who may want to create havoc and sow pain and destruction in communities, especially foreign nationals residing in our country. We appeal for calm, tolerance and unity amongst all." The South African government has been criticised for not speaking strongly enough against the threat of xenophobic attacks on foreign migrants since the end of the World Cup. Migrants living in poor communities, especially near Cape Town, have faced threats and harassment in recent days and many have fled their homes and businesses. South Africans without jobs accuse the migrants of undercutting pay levels and some shopkeepers resent competition from immigrants. In a call to action, the Congress of South African Trade Unions (Cosatu) July 14 released an 11-point "declaration of commitment" aimed at harnessing the success that underpinned South Africa's hosting of the World Cup so as to address continuing development challenges facing the country. Addressing a media conference in Johannesburg, Cosatu general secretary Zwelinzima Vavi said South Africans had to demand "justice for themselves and their children", hence the need to maintain the current levels of unity and use it to "confront the many challenges facing South Africa". "The bar has been set high now. South Africans are correct to demand the same South Africa we saw over the last four weeks - swift and efficient delivery. We have seen that it can be done and we will accept nothing less," he said. The declaration is based on the need to sustain the positives beyond the World Cup and build on the efficient services - speedy justice, effective policing, reliable public transport, racial unity and leadership - which contributed to the successful staging of the soccer spectacle that kept the world's eyes fixed on South Africa for a month. Cosatu also plans to involve broader civil society beyond the tripartite alliance and will be talking to business, prominent individuals and civil society organisations to join them in the campaign to get South Africa working better and free of corruption. Four white South Africans have been fined $2,700 (£1,700) each for making a video humiliating five black university workers and posting it online. The former students at the University of Free State pleaded guilty to criminal injury at the trial July 27. The video showed the five staff being made to kneel and forced to eat food which had apparently been urinated on by one of the students. The video sparked anti-racist protests when it surfaced in 2008. The trial was seen as deeply symbolic in a country trying to come to grips with its racially divided past, 16 years after the end of white minority rule. The four were also given six-month prison terms, suspended for five years on condition they are not found guilty of discrimination during that period. The fines of 20,000 rand were higher than that requested by the prosecution. "It sends a strong message to potential offenders of similar crimes," said magistrate Mziwonke.Hinxa in the mainly white town of Bloemfontein. If the four do not pay the fines, they face 12 months in jail. The five university workers had asked that the four should be fined, rather than jailed. But the workers - four women and a man - are expected to launch a civil case for damages now that the criminal case is over. Last year, the first black director of the University of the Free State, Jonathan Jansen, courted controversy by inviting the students back as a gesture of reconciliation. His decision was condemned by both the ruling African National Congress and opposition parties. Dwindling support, leadership squabbles and perpetual disorganisation have thrown a shadow over the long-term sustainability of the Inkhata Freedom Party(IFP). This is the assessment of Zakhele Ndlovu, a political analyst at the University of KwaZulu-Natal, after the IFP's recent, very public, leadership battles. "I think this is the beginning of the end. "The IFP is in serious trouble, it is a sinking ship and the captain has failed dismally," said Ndlovu. He said IFP leader Mangosuthu Buthelezi was "turning the party into something that belongs to him, instead of making it an organisation for the people". In recent by-elections in northern KwaZulu-Natal the IFP lost to the ANC in uMhlathuze municipality in Richards Bay and uMthonjaneni municipality in Melmoth, both previous IFP strongholds. The party also incurred significant dents in its traditional support bases in Nongoma and Ulundi, where it respectively polled 74.68 percent, compared with 92.24 percent during the 2006 local government elections, and 61.84 percent, compared with 81 percent four years ago. In his online publication, Buthelezi recently said the IFP's "demise" would be a blow for multiparty democracy in South Africa. While support is already fading - the IFP support halved in the past national election. The South African Reserve Bank (SARB) has kept interest rates unchanged at 6,5% following its three-day Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) meeting. SARB governor Gill Marcus said the MPC feels the present policy stance is appropriate to deal with current economic challenges in the market. "The main upside risks to the inflation outlook continue to emanate from cost-push pressures, particularly recent wage settlements and high levels of administered price increases. As such the monetary policy committee has decided to keep rates unchanged at 6,5%", Marcus said. The Governor also made special mention of the weakening of the Rand which has been touted by many analysts. She pointed out, however, that the Reserve Bank has no specific target for the Rand's value. Marcus said that any move to tamper with the currency's value will not necessarily achieve positive results. "There is no point in a weaker currency when the benefits will be eroded by inflation," she said. Along with her comments on the Rand, Marcus forecast growth for 2010 in the region of 2,9% - mainly due to a slow-down in the manufacturing sector. Compared with the same month last year, consumer prices rose by 4,2%, slowing from 4,6% in May and well below consensus forecasts for a 4,5% increase. Inflation rose much more slowly then anticipated in June, in a trend which could back the case for a further interest cut, and ensures that interest rate hikes are a long way off. The International Monetary Fund (IMF) has revised upwards its growth forecast for South Africa this year, in line with more upbeat estimates for the rest of the world. Finance Minister Pravin Gordhan said July 8 that the pace of growth "probably moderated" in the second quarter, but South Africa still stood to achieve more than the 2,3% for this year projected in the February budget. Growth in the first quarter was 4,6% up from 3,2% in the fourth quarter of last year. "We have seen a gradual improvement in economic conditions. The pace of growth probably moderated somewhat in the second quarter," Mr Gordhan said. He said South Africa still stood to achieve more than the Treasury's 2,3% forecast, after contracting 1,8% last year. The IMF said South Africa's economic growth was likely to reach 3,2% this year, up from an estimate of 2,6% published in April, said Alfredo Cuevas, the IMF's senior resident representative in South Africa. "The recovery in South Africa has been stronger than expected, and we don't see ourselves making major revisions to the forecast at this point," he said Now a Season of Strikes? As many as 900,000 South African public sector workers are likely to strike to push for higher wages, a group of unions said. It is crunch time for Public Service and Administration Minister Richard Baloyi and public sector unions after Mr Baloyi August 3 gave unions an ultimatum to accept a 6,5% wage increase and a R630 housing allowance or have the state unilaterally impose it on them. The unions rejected the offer again August 3, saying they were gearing up for a strike August 9. If state employees - teachers, nurses, police officers and administrators - go on strike, it would put strain on the operations of government departments, affect service delivery and cripple the country's economy. Dumisani Nkwamba, spokesman for the Department of Public Service and Administration, said that it was in the public interest for unions to accept the final offer. "The minister gave the unions an ultimatum to accept the offer. It is in the best interest of the unions to accept the offer or we will implement it without them," he said. Sandile July, labour expert and director at Werksmans, said that if the strike went ahead, the unions should act responsibly, making sure that essential services remained uninterrupted. The current public service strike could impede the country's recovery from the economic downturn, the South African Chamber of Commerce and Industry (SACCI) has warned. Workers at state power utility Eskom won a 9 percent pay increase early in July after threatening to strike during soccer World Cup. Transport sector workers won a similar settlement in May after a three-week strike that cost nearly $1 billion in lost production and sales. Wage hikes could add inflationary pressure to the economy, which has been recovering over the past several months from its first recession in 17 years. Public Service Strike Mounts as Offer Rejected as Insult Public sector unions August 1 rejected Public Service and Administration Minister Richard Baloyi 's call for them to accept the government's final wage offer of a 6,5% increase and a R630 housing allowance, vowing to press ahead with their strike. The Public Servants Association, which represent s 200000 employees, will resume strike action while the South African Democratic Teachers Union (Sadtu), representing 243000 teachers, will begin a series of lunchtime pickets. The Democratic Nurses Organisation of SA (Denosa) is expected to down tools from August 5. The consequences of 1,3-million state employees -- teachers, nurses, police and administrators -- going on strike is likely to strain the operations of government departments, ports of entry, hospitals and traffic departments. It will also come at a great cost to the broader economy. Mr Baloyi urged labour to consider the final offer, saying that it was reasonable and fair, given the implications for all of SA's people. "The offer as tabled by the employer… is a reasonable and fair offer, given the trends developed in relation to how the state determines salary increases. The trend informs us of a salary adjustment that is based on inflation for the period under discussion plus a moderate real wage increase," he said. The unions have rejected the offer outright. "We are calling upon the employer not to insult workers with such a ridiculous offer of a mere R10 from R620 to R630 for housing allowances and an unacceptable 6,5% for salary increases," said Sadtu general secretary Mugwena Maluleke August 1. "A R10 improvement to the allowance is ridiculous and makes a mockery of the collective bargaining and cannot be taken seriously." Denosa spokesman Asanda Fongqo said it did not view the government's final offer as a revised offer. "I don't think the employer is serious about averting the strike." The Congress of South African Trade Unions said it would put pressure on the government to come up with a "realistic" offer. Meanwhile, the African National Congress (ANC) has warned that increases above the inflation rate could cripple the country's economy. "Our interest is to see the strike being averted to avoid any collapse of public services. At this stage we would like to give the negotiation processes a chance," said ANC spokesman Brian Sokutu. Cosatu Mulls Joining Public Service Strike The Congress of South African Trade Union's (Cosatu's) public service unions are still deciding whether or not they will join a strike by other unions in the sector against a general pay hike offer by the government. However, the prolonged decision may only be due to inefficiency and not an issue of a lack of support. Labour analyst Andrew Levy said July 26 that the only thing "stopping a strike from beginning soon" would involve a major revised offer above the government's 6,5% general pay increase offer. "I believe a strike is very likely. The government has said it would make a revised offer but the unions have been waiting for ages. "The decision to strike is not made on a Cosatu level but rather by workers themselves," he said. Mugwena Maluleke, a Cosatu spokesman, said that the group's major unions - the South African Municipal Workers Union, the Democratic Nursing Organisation of SA and the Police and Prisons Civil Rights Union (Popcru), which represent about 56% of the unionised members of the country's 1,3-million public service workers - still needed to consolidate their mandates with Cosatu. The non politically aligned Public Servants Association (PSA), which has about 210000 members, announced that it would strike from July 29, while the National Union of Public Service and Allied Workers (Nupsaw) said it would strike from August 1. The PSA and Nupsaw, along with the Cosatu unions, have been demanding an 8,6% pay hike. However, Cosatu may still see space for a resolution without turning to such drastic action as a strike, according to labour analyst Tony Healy. "Cosatu unions are normally much more aggressive than this when it comes to strikes. "It is very unlike them to prolong such action for months as they have done, especially when we have seen wage increases of nearly double the 6,5% offered by government in other sectors like transport," he said. Look Beyond the World Cup for Prosperity It is understandable that many South Africans are still basking in the glory of a successful Fifa World Cup. Less comprehensible is the government's insistence that the cup has brought unequivocal gains to SA's economy. It takes a moment's thought to see that such claims are at best premature. Some costs and benefits can be estimated, but most of the tournament's consequences are hidden, intangible, or long term. The event has left behind a large number of elephants, some of which are white. Transport systems introduced specifically for the cup supported 1,4-million journeys, but most passengers were international visitors and middle-class South Africans. It is hard to see how these systems can be made affordable to ordinary citizens. The Gautrain is a "white economic empowerment elephant” that has brought riches to the established construction industry. The Gautrain was conceived before the World Cup was secured, so its cost of perhaps R30bn - about the same as the stadiums - is never accounted as a tournament expense. Subsidies that could amount to R1bn a year to keep the system running are also ignored, because the government includes the Gautrain only on the positive side of its ledger of World Cup legacies. The stadiums themselves are beautiful works of art. At a Soccer City event hosted by the International Marketing Council and the Financial Times, however, panellists fell silent when asked to list possible uses for the venue. It was left to Johannesburg mayor Amos Masondo to suggest that the giant arena could be used for large weddings. As cynics predicted, the government will soon be paying the rugby federations to take charge of these wonderful, but massively expensive, creations. There have conceivably been "intangible" benefits from the Cup. International investors supposedly see the country through fresh eyes. Psychological barriers between races have allegedly been shattered. A sense of national possibility has perhaps been recreated after three years of relentless negativity. There are three reasons why enthusiasts are so keen to proclaim the World Cup an economic success right now. First, the national general council of the African National Congress (ANC) is in August, and the future of presidential white elephant Jacob Zuma, still hangs in the balance. A successful tournament boosts his chances of survival, even if the whole ANC knows the majority of the work occurred on former president Thabo Mbeki 's watch. Second, SA's construction industry and its embedded ANC cronies are lobbying hard for more easy money. Third, KwaZulu-Natal interests are hoping to replicate the remunerative elements of the World Cup bid, but on an altogether bigger scale. Instead of a Gauteng-style toy train, they propose a high-speed rail link between Johannesburg and Durban. Sceptical citizens are told not to count the costs because it is all needed for the Olympics. The multipurpose Moses Mabhida Stadium was conceived all along as the plausible centrepiece of an Olympic bid. According to the adherents of ‘Blatternomics’, even bidding for a mega-event brings economic benefits - albeit ones of the so-called "intangible" kind beloved of event entrepreneurs. There were 90 000 fans and 22 players at Soccer City for the World Cup final, and they had to be there for 90 minutes. SA has 12-million schoolchildren and 380 000 teachers in 26 000 schools and they have to teach and learn for every day of every school year. Although a country addicted to fast money and political roller-coaster rides does not want to believe it, the presence or absence of concerted responses to such more mundane challenges will determine the future prosperity of the nation. World Cup's Boost for GDP Higher Than Expected Government estimates that the 2010 the FIFA World Cup added a percentage more to the country's growth, when spending on stadiums and infrastructure was taken into account. Initially Government estimated that the World Cup would add 0.5 percentage points to annual growth this year. However, Finance Minister Pravin Gordhan told guests at a dinner hosted by the International Marketing Council July 22 "When we take account of the spending on stadiums and infrastructure since 2006, we find that the level of GDP is about 1 per cent higher than it would have otherwise been." In addition he said the tournament undoubtedly boosted the country's standing internationally, showcasing its capabilities in delivering world-class infrastructure on time and without imposing a financial burden on the national fiscus. National government put in some R33 billion into preparations for the World Cup, which Gordhan said was an investment that formed part of a long-term development plan for the country, rather than funding a once-off event. "We must also remind ourselves that what government was able to put into this project came from the taxpayers of this country, both in the business sector and as individuals, and it is to them also that the credit must go. Hosting the 2010 FIFA World Cup acted as a catalyst for expanding our infrastructure base, skills development, employment creation, and economic growth." He said the successful hosting of the tournament had shown that South Africa could rise to the challenge of hosting the biggest sport on the planet. "The narrative about South Africa in the international media during the tournament suggests that we did close that gap. Reporting on South Africa has been the most positive since our successful transition to democracy in 1994.” "But the most important legacy of the World Cup is the renewed confidence in ourselves as a nation that the hosting of the tournament has brought about." said the minister. Was the World Cup Worthwhile? The postmortem reports on the Fifa World Cup 2010 will no doubt continue for some time. And that is fair enough -- this was a huge event for South Africa, arguably second only to the first democratic election in 1994, so it is only right that the tournament should be thoroughly examined before it is finally laid to rest. So was it all worthwhile? The government certainly seems to believe so, which a cynic might point out is hardly surprising given that many of the governing elite and their friends and families treated the World Cup as an opportunity to party for a month at the taxpayer's expense. Cynicism aside, there are clear indications that the goodwill South Africans of all colours and classes exhibited towards each other during the honeymoon period after 1994 has made a welcome comeback as a direct result of the World Cup. With the benefit of hindsight, the interracial tolerance and willingness to compromise that characterised the heady Mandela era were discarded far too easily when Thabo Mbeki was appointed president and chose to place more emphasis on the issues that divide South Africans. But the World Cup has provided a golden opportunity for President Zuma to prove himself, and for that he should, oddly enough, be grateful to Mr Mbeki. The fact is that it was the former president's vision of an African renaissance, with SA leading the charge to prove to the rest of the world that the continent was not destined to disappoint in perpetuity, that resulted in SA persisting in the bid to host the tournament. One of the hopefully lasting legacies of the World Cup is that South Africans were forced to see their country through the eyes of the rest of the world, and the result was the breaking down of hitherto impenetrable barriers. Soweto was a place to be feared from the perspective of many white people before the World Cup; all it took was a displaced rugby game and allowing themselves to be swept up by the football spirit for that mental block to be overcome. We all embraced the national team, and even indulged in a bit of continental jingoism in backing Ghana, and for the first time since the late 1990s it felt like the natural thing to do. Looking at the event from an economic perspective, Finance Minister Pravin Gordhan has done an informal cost-benefit analysis and concluded -- surprise! -- that the numbers pretty much balance. That is not to imply he has fiddled the books, just that there are too many intangibles to be able to come to any hard and fast conclusions, especially this early. Who can say with any authority what the opportunity cost will turn out to be of the decision to spend billions of rands on nonessential infrastructure such as stadiums rather than, say, education? Similarly, the social benefits of uniting the country around football have to be weighed against the cost of prioritising a game over pressing needs, such as housing. That said, it would not be difficult to argue, in fact, that we did not spend enough money on the Cup. It is undeniable, though, that having the eyes of a sceptical world on us produced a degree of focus and determination to meet deadlines that was previously lacking, and bequeathed upon us sorely needed infrastructure that might otherwise have become bogged down in squabbling over black empowerment, the awarding of tenders and petty politics. Fifa World Cup 2010 has opened the eyes of the world to what South Africa has to offer, while simultaneously reminding South Africans what is possible. It is a sublime combination, rich with opportunities we dare not waste. Secrecy Bill Declared 'Fully Constitutional' Despite a raft of objections to the government's "secrecy bill", chief state law adviser Enver Daniels July 27 declared the bill fully constitutional and has dismissed some of the submissions as "emotional and hysterical". Significantly, Mr Daniels also emphatically rejected the numerous calls for a public interest defence for journalists and whistle-blowers exposing wrongdoing by the state. He said this meant anything could be published without taking consequences into consideration. Harsh minimum sentences are imposed in the bill for those caught making public classified information. Detailed submissions from, among others, the South African National Editors' Forum, Print Media SA, the Mail & Guardian and the Institute for Democracy in SA (Idasa), called for a public interest defence to be included in the bill to protect investigative journalism from being shut down. Mr Daniels, briefing Parliament's ad hoc committee on the Protection of Information Bill, also rejected suggestions that the definitions of national interest and national security as contained in the bill were overly broad. He said that if a simple, one-line definition had been used then the bill would easily have been labelled arbitrary. Criticism has been that broad definitions will allow almost any government document to be classified. The fact that the committee gave Mr Daniels free rein to shoot down the submissions in its first meeting after the hearings seems to indicate there is little room for substantive changes to the bill. In a separate development, the manager of Idasa's Political Information and Monitoring Service, Judith February, wrote to National Assembly Speaker Max Sisulu, noting that some senior members of the ad hoc committee had not attended a single meeting, thus harming the committee's ability to deliberate effectively on the bill. She said that Vytjie Mentoor, Johnny de Lange, Annalise van Wyk, Mbhazima Shilowa and Mario Oriani-Ambrosini had not attended all the meetings. Ms February said: "Several concerns arise from their absence. We are concerned at the possible implications of their absence, both procedurally, as well as the impact this may have on substantive issues of law and process. We were disappointed with the tone of the hearings and the shallow questioning. "In view of the far-reaching implications of the bill, Idasa is concerned that, in these circumstances, Parliament will be unable to do justice to its responsibilities." Call for Special Courts in Xenophobia Cases The South African Human Rights Commission (SAHRC) has recommended that the government set up special courts to deal with xenophobia-related cases. The commission made this recommendation to Parliament's portfolio committee on justice and constitutional development July 21 when it presented its findings on research into the aftermath of the 2008 xenophobic attacks. It recommended ways of dealing with similar incidents in the future. The national report is titled "Report on the rule of law, justice and impunity: institutional responses to the 2008 violence against non-nationals". It was based on information gathered in Gauteng, KwaZulu-Natal and the Western Cape, and focused on how "impunity undermines the rule of law". In the Western Cape, the research was conducted in Masiphumelele. Among the critical issues listed by the SAHRC's Joyce Tlou was the need for special dedicated courts, "like the ones we had for the World Cup". Tlou told the Cape Argus that it was merely a recommendation which could assist in the event of another violent xenophobic outbreak similar to the attacks of May 2008. A hotline, including a widely publicised central number people could call, was recommended to assist as an early warning system. The report found that victims of xenophobia had not received proper justice because there were so few convictions related to the attacks. The report said cases related to the 2008 attacks were hindered by delays brought on by case flow management, a shortage of investigators, reduced forensic and court capacity, as well as a lack of available interpreters. It also found that there was a poor relationship between the affected communities, police and the judicial system. Confidence in the system was undermined because the police were seen as unresponsive, with some of them being labelled corrupt and co-operative with local criminals. Tlou said that the accusations levelled against police were "dangerous" because they diminished confidence in the police. The report also noted that foreigners raised incidences of misconduct among police. "Although individuals raised it, when we followed it up no cases were opened (with the Independent Complaints Directorate)." The report also found that: Reintegration of those displaced did "not occur consistently, or sustainably", and was not adequately monitored. Some progress was made in light of possible future attacks, but effort needed to be made to maintain the progress. Security forces were not able to stop the attacks from spreading before people were displaced and property destroyed. The commission recommended that the police and the SA Defence Force develop guidelines for future co-operative service. They said there was a need for police to "boost deployment of back-up units in social conflict situations". Archbishop Tutu Closes an Impressive Chapter Nobel Peace Prize winner Desmond Tutu announced July 22 that after his 79th birthday on October 7, he would start limiting his time in the office to one day a week until the end of February 2011. After that, he said, he would withdraw entirely from public life. An upbeat Tutu, who cracked jokes and laughed at some of the questions posed, said he had already retired twice: once, in 1996, as the Archbishop of Cape Town, and again after the Truth and Reconciliation Commission had been completed. "But my mission determined that I continue to work and my schedule has grown increasingly punishing over the years." Asked whether he was in good health, Tutu, who has previously been treated for prostate cancer, said: "I'm not going to keel over any time soon." His said his plans post-retirement were to "sip rooibos tea with my beloved wife (Leah) in the afternoons, to watch cricket and to travel to visit my children and grandchildren rather than to conferences, conventions and university campuses". "I think I've done as much as I can, and really do need time for the other things that I have wanted to do." Tutu said he also planned to catch up on his reading. Of his time in the public eye, he said: "It's been fun, but I've not stopped being a township urchin. Even when I was sitting in the Oval Office, I kept pinching myself, saying: 'Is it really me?' " He said his family had always kept him grounded. "I've got a wife and family who helped keep my head right. They reminded me: 'You are just our daddy and husband'." Asked if he would miss public life, he said: "I've been very blessed. (But I) won't care not being in the public eye." He said he would no longer be available for media interviews, telling the journalists assembled at St George's Cathedral: "Don't call me, I'll call you." Tutu was born in Klerksdorp in 1931. His father was a teacher, and after matriculating from Johannesburg Bantu High School, he trained as a teacher at Pretoria Bantu Normal College. In 1954, he graduated from the University of South Africa. After three years as a high school teacher, he started studying theology, and was ordained as a priest in 1960. From 1976 to 1978 he was Bishop of Lesotho, and in 1978 became the first black General Secretary of the SA Council of Churches. Tutu has an honorary doctorate from a number of leading universities in the USA, Britain and Germany. He and Leah have four children. Nelson Mandela Celebrates His 92nd Birthday Surrounded by members of his family Nelson Mandela celebrated his 92nd birthday July 19 at his home in Houghton, Johannesburg. Mr Mandela started off his day by receiving visits from old friends including former Zambian Prime Minister, Kenneth Kaunda. Various other invited guests brought him gifts and cards. He was later serenaded by a large group of his grand-children and great-grandchildren, most of whom wore Nelson Mandela Day t-shirts to mark the first United Nations Nelson Mandela International Day. Many of Mr Mandela’s family had been out volunteering at community projects before they arrived at his private birthday party. After singing “Happy Birthday dear granddad” the children were joined in their applause by the man of the moment. After two of his youngest great-granddaughters tried unsuccessfully to blow out the candles themselves, they helped by a group of older ones. Mr Mandela and his wife Graca Machel also celebrated their 12th wedding anniversary. They were joined at the private celebration by his second wife Mrs Winnie Madikizela-Mandela. Before the main party got underway in a marquee erected in the garden, prayers were said by various ministers of religion. The occasion also marked a commemoration of the passing away since the 1940s of various members of the family. These included Zenani Mandela junior who was killed in a car accident at the age of 13 on 11 June; Mr Mandela’s daughter Makaziwe with his first wife Evelyn Mase who passed away in 1946 after an illness at the age of nine months; Mandela’s eldest son Thembekile, 24, who was killed in a car accident on 13 July 1969; his second and remaining son Makgatho, 54, who died of complications of AIDS on 6 January 2005. Madiba Thanks Public for Supporting Mandela Day The Nelson Mandela Foundation on behalf of Madiba has thanked the public for making Mandela Day a resounding success. The former president celebrated his 92nd birthday under this year's theme "Make everyday a Nelson Mandela Day." South Africans across the country joined the international community by giving 67 minutes of their time to do something good in honour of the 67 years that Madiba dedicated to the public service. The Foundation's information communications manager, Sello Hatang said: "On behalf of our Founder, Nelson Mandela, the Trustees and Staff of the Nelson Mandela Foundation, we would like to thank all members of the public for making Nelson Mandela International Day 2010 such a resounding success." Mandela Day activities were undertaken by people from all walks of life such as renowned actor Morgan Freeman who erected a fence at an AIDS centre in Khayelitsha, to women's associations preparing meals for the needy or schoolchildren donating bread and preparing sandwiches for a local soup kitchen. From corporates whose staff planted vegetable gardens, provincial government staff spending time with child-headed households, to organisations educating children about the dangers of drugs and others who spent their 67 minutes tutoring disadvantaged communities in subjects such as mathematics - all was done in celebration of the man who spent 67 years of his life fighting for others. Internationally, Mandela Day was marked by awareness creating events in cities such as New York, Madrid and London, while untold numbers of people everywhere gave 67 minutes of their time to make the world a better place for all. "It was particularly gratifying to see the huge number of individuals who took the initiative to contribute to communities and charities in a meaningful way. "This is for us the essence of Mandela Day. The Nelson Mandela Foundation will collate all these efforts and publish a report within a few days. "We would like people to remember that Every Day should be a Mandela Day. Let the wonderful work that people have done with and within communities continue, and people and organisations should establish ongoing relationships with the various charities that they assisted," Hatang said. He said for the Nelson Mandela Foundation, the Mandela Day campaign continues. Wasteful Spending Hits R1,5 Billion – DA The Democratic Alliance (DA) has charged that wasteful spending by President Jacob Zuma 's administration has soared to R1,5bn in the past year, with about R500m misspent in the past three months alone. The DA has been running what it calls its "wasteful expenditure monitor" for the past year and the total is now almost R1,5bn spent on items such as luxury cars, prolonged stays in five-star hotels, tickets to major sporting events, self-congratulatory advertising, and lavish parties at top-end restaurants with no benefits for ordinary South Africans. DA spokeswoman Lindiwe Mazibuko said July 15 the spending over the past year was contemptuous of Finance Minister Pravin Gordhan's instruction that departments and state entities should tighten their belts and only spend on necessities. She claimed that 12 months of research by the DA, garnered from replies to parliamentary questions and news reports, showed that the department with the highest wasteful expenditure was public works with R99m spent on the refurbishment of residences of officials. The most wasteful provincial government was the African National Congress-run KwaZulu-Natal, which had spent R120,5m on a variety of items from unnecessary rental space, to luxury cars and artworks. Ms Mazibuko said: "The biggest-spending single state- owned enterprise was the SABC, which, despite being in dire financial straits, wasted R23m on unnecessary rented space and a propaganda video praising President Jacob Zuma." She said Defence Minister Lindiwe Sisulu was responsible for the biggest expenditure on cars since the wasteful expenditure monitor's last report in April. About R7m was spent on four Mercedes-Benz E-class cars. Transport Minister Sbu Ndebele was named for spending on World Cup tickets, with entities reporting to him spending R20m. Communications Minister Siphiwe Nyanda was held responsible for "the biggest spend on unnecessary luxury hotel accommodation, treating himself to prolonged stays at the five-star Mount Nelson Hotel and Twelve Apostles Hotel in Cape Town at a total cost of R515 000 to the taxpayer." The most expensive party award went to suspended director-general in the Department of Labour, Jimmy Manyi, who reportedly spent R350 000 on a year-end party. Ms Mazibuko said: "This kind of spending represents a gross misallocation of public funds and brings no benefits to the South African people. R1,5bn is equivalent to 50% more than the entire housing budget for the Department of Human Settlements in the North West province (R985,6m) and 100% more than the school nutrition programme budget for the Eastern Cape education department (for) 2009-10 (R486,7m). "If these funds had been spent wisely, they could have provided over 1,1-million people affected by HIV/AIDS with the care they need to stay healthy. R1,5bn could have provided bursaries for 50000 students to pay for the first year of tuition in a BCom programme, R1,5bn could also have been used to provide electricity connections to over 185000 low-cost houses across the country," she said. Attempts to get government comment were unsuccessful. Semenya Can Compete as a Woman IAAF World 800m running champion Caster Semenya was cleared to compete as a woman July 6 - nearly a year after she was suspended from top-level competition pending the results of gender tests. In a tersely worded statement, the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) said the gender testing process begun last year had now been completed. "The IAAF accepts the conclusion of a panel of medical experts that she can compete with immediate effect," the statement said, adding that the medical details of the case would remain confidential. It remained unclear why that process - which included chromosomal, psychological, gynaecological and chemical tests - took almost 11 months to complete. Semenya shot to international fame last August when she obliterated the field in the 800m at the World Athletics Championships in Berlin. The win followed mounting speculation that the then 18-year-old had male characteristics, provoked by her muscular build and a sharp improvement in her running times last year. The IAAF confirmed the day before the final that Semenya would be subjected to gender tests. Although she was allowed to compete in the final in Berlin, she was subsequently excluded from competition until the results of the tests were known. Apart from its effects on Semenya's development as a runner, the lengthy suspension has prevented her from earning potentially lucrative sponsorship revenue and prize money. But her spokesman, Tsepho Seema, said that Semenya had no plans to take legal action against the IAAF. "All Caster has ever wanted to do, as she's always maintained, is to run. I don't think that she has any intention to take people to court - she hopes she can pick up from where she left off." Seema said Semenya had been working hard on the track during her absence from professional competition, as well as in her charitable project for athletes from poor backgrounds. She was excited to have been cleared to run, and had identified "a couple" of events where she planned to compete. Survey - South Africa is One of Best Emerging Markets for Business South Africa's economy has been vindicated as one of the most attractive emerging markets in which to do business, a World Bank research survey showed July 29. This key assessment of SA's business environment puts the country in a prime position to attract more foreign direct investment than other emerging markets. SA ranked third, after Thailand and Malaysia, out of 12 countries regarding the business community's perceptions of conducting business in the country. Significantly, SA outperformed larger economies such as those of China and Brazil. India, a powerful emerging economy, was not part of the assessment, which was conducted in 2008. Chile, Mexico, Colombia, Kenya, Argentina, Nigeria, Brazil and Senegal were the other emerging markets assessed. "SA's business environment compares favourably with its peers," a World Bank senior economist and lead author of the report, Taye Mengistae, said July 29. However, crime, access to finance for small business, skills development and the productivity levels of the workforce remained SA's weak areas. Crime was the only concern that had been consistently highlighted as a negative force that deterred investment locally, Trade and Industry Minister Rob Davies said. The survey indicated that, on average, crime was costing businesses about 3,2% of turnover a year. Martyn Davies, CE of research consultancy Frontier Advisory, said that "crime was an enemy within and has torn society apart". SA's economy should not be "consumption driven but rather growth driven", but he was nevertheless optimistic about SA's economic outlook. In previous surveys, the investment community was concerned about SA's macroeconomic policy, labour legislation, crime and the development of skills. These concerns, except for crime, had now shifted to corruption, electricity supply (because of Eskom's power outages) and access to finance for small business. The chief economist of Econometrix, Azar Jammine, said African economies' growth, with the exception of SA's, "exceeded the world's economy by 1%" last year. Mr Jammine attributed SA's slow growth to a lack of skills, which was "eroding" economic performance. "We are falling further and further behind on skills development with the rest of Africa," he said. Of the small enterprises surveyed, only 17% indicated that they had access to a credit facility. Industrial Development Corporation chief economist Lumkile Mondi said: "SA is no different to other countries on the score of access to finance" for small business. Note: To read more, click here

Comments

Predictions about South Africa
by Yorick Blumenfeld on 16.01.08, 18:14

I truly admired the entertaining and informative approach of your predictions till I came to the very end. The problems facing South Africa under the leadership of Mbeki have been dire. Mbeki's approach to AIDS, endemic violence in SA, Robert Mugabe ( and Zimbabwe's refugees in SA)and his continued denigration of Zuma have all been equally deplorable. But because Mbeki is President of the leading African democracy, the media have kept quiet about this thoroughly reprehensible figure. I have no inside knowledge about Zuma, his allegedly corrupt arms deals or his purportedly scandalous personal life. What I do know is that Mbeki has steadfastly tried to block Zuma's path to power and that in itself may be the reason that the ANC has voted for Zuma. Maybe in 2008 Mbeki will finally be exposed for what he is : a disaster !

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