by Peter Fabricius Those who have discerned and welcomed very slight improvements in the Zuma administration’s international stance on human rights might have been dismayed by the speech of South Africa’s Minister of International Relations and Cooperation Maite Nkoana-Mashabane to the Human Rights Council, in Geneva on Monday. It was a template presentation which could […]
Category: politics
Preparation for World Cup Disenfranchises Country's Poor
South Africa is eagerly preparing to host the World Cup in June 2010, but the government’s preparatory development projects are negatively impacting the country’s poorest citizens. Deputy President Kgalema Motlanthe presented a keynote address on 1 March to mark 100 days to the start of the World Cup. He expressed the optimism and pride South […]
Taking President Jacob Zuma seriously
by Jovial Rantao WHY are we surprised when some section of the British nation, as demonstrated by some of their newspapers, don’t take President Jacob Zuma seriously? Why are we shocked and even angered when Fleet Street has found our head of state to be less than deserving of respect? Why are we taken aback […]
S.Africa: Bring back gallows – PAC
The Pan Africanist Congress has reacted with fury to the removal of the gallows and floorboards in the apartheid era’s execution chambers at the Pretoria Central Prison. The families of six PAC activists who were hanged in 1967 and 1968 were shocked to discover that the gallows and the trapdoors had been removed when they […]
S.Africa: Mkhatshwa is out of ANC race
The race for the ANC Gauteng provincial leadership has taken another twist. Sowetan has learnt that that Tshwane speaker Father Smangaliso Mkhatshwa could be co-opted to the ANC’s national executive committee. The move would rule him out of the leadership race. Premier Nomvula Mokonyane might go head- to-head with current ANC chairperson Paul Mashatile. Mkhatshwa’s […]
'Crass materialism' endangering the ANC – Vavi
“Crass materialism” and “tender entrepreneurs” in the ANC leadership is endangering the ruling party, Cosatu general secretary Zwelinzima Vavi said on Thursday. “The new tendency is trying hard to take us back to the politics of labelling, back-stabbing, rumour and scandal mongering, marginalisation and the closure of state for free and democratic debate.” This “small […]
S.Africa: Cosatu boss blasts Julius
Congress of SA Trade Unions (Cosatu) general-secretary Zwelinzima Vavi is prepared to lay down his life to prevent the country from degenerating into what he describes as a predator state where a few of the powerful loot the coffers with impunity. Without referring to the ANC Youth League president Julius Malema by name, Vavi said […]
Vavi slams JZ over Mantashe attack
Congress of SA Trade Unions (Cosatu) boss Zwelinzima Vavi has hit out at ANC president Jacob Zuma and the party’s national executive committee (NEC) for keeping quiet while ANC secretary-general Gwede Mantashe has been attacked by the likes of the ANC Youth League. “Not only President Zuma but the whole NEC has failed to defend […]
Togolese vote as Gnassingbe seeks second term
Voting in Togo’s presidential election began calmly on Thursday against a backdrop of violence in previous polls and opposition allegations incumbent President Faure Gnassingbe may rig the outcome. Hundreds died in post-election violence in the small West African nation after the 2005 presidential election and voting this time comes as the region is shaken by […]
Cocky Mugabe not deterred by sanctions
Zimbabwean president says he’ll be running things for years to come. Zimbabwe’s ageing President Robert Mugabe, who turned 86 last month, yesterday told journalists that he was not planning to retire any time soon. Mugabe held a four-hour news briefing with about 20 of the country’s top journalists at Zimbabwe House in the capital, Harare. […]