South Africa has notified the UN Security Council that it recently seized a shipment of North Korean arms bound for Congo in violation of UN resolutions, diplomats said on Tuesday. One diplomat, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the South Africans on Monday informed the council’s panel monitoring sanctions imposed on North Korea that spare […]
Category: politics
Calls mount for release of Gauteng graft report
Calls are mounting for the release of a report on an investigation commissioned by former premier Mbhazima Shilowa into corrupt activities in the Gauteng government two years ago. The findings of the report, compiled by Resolve Group attorneys, led to the suspension and dismissal of Sibusiso Buthelezi, former head of the public transport, roads and […]
ANCYL Leader Malema stays away after party rally row
Infighting within the Eastern Cape ANC stopped Youth League president Julius Malema and party national executive member Fikile Mbalula from addressing a Nelson Mandela freedom rally in Mthatha yesterday. The two ANC firebrands were expected at the Walter Sisulu University sports ground as part of the 20th anniversary celebrations of the unbanning of the ANC […]
Blue-light brigade reminds me of apartheid – Lekota
COPE president Mosiuoa Lekota said he does not use blue lights to get to his destination faster – he says the blue lights he remembers were the ones when he was arrested and being transported to court and prison during the apartheid era. Lekota gave his views on the controversy surrounding blue light convoys used […]
ANC ‘must address conflicts of interest issue’
IT WAS time for the African National Congress (ANC) to draw a line in the sand and bring an end to the involvement of office bearers in state tender processes once and for all, said Judith February, head of the parliamentary information and monitoring service of the Institute for Democracy in SA (Idasa). February was […]
S.Africa: Amos Masondo 'ignores' second parks report
A second, independent report into corruption at Johannesburg City Parks recommended disciplinary action against managing director Luther Williamson – but both the department and Mayor Amos Masondo have ignored it. The Times revealed last week that a forensic audit by law firm Edward Nathan Sonnenbergs found that multimillion-rand tenders were awarded to friends of Williamson […]
Sudan signs accord with Darfur rebels
Sudan and Darfur’s most powerful rebel group will tomorrow ratify an agreement reached after an easing of tension between Sudan and Chad. The rebel Justice and Equality Movement (JEM) said on Saturday that the framework agreement reached in the Chadian capital N’Djamena last week was not a final peace deal but set out the terms […]
Nigeria: Junta urged to make way for vote in Niger
Niger’s new military junta had not announced plans for an election by yesterday and had not said how long it would hold power after a coup that ousted the uranium-rich west African country’s dictatorial president. After Thursday’s coup, the junta immediately suspended the country’s constitution. The coup was staged to unseat Mamadou Tandja, who had […]
US nuclear envoy visits South Africa
US President Barack Obama has sent a special nuclear envoy to South Africa to seek Pretoria’s support for more nuclear disarmament, non-proliferation and provision of peaceful nuclear energy to developing countries. These are the three pillars of the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT), which is to be reviewed at a conference at the UN in New […]
S.Africa: Nkoana-Mashabane about to visit to China
International Relations and Cooperation Minister Maite Nkoana-Mashabane will pay an official visit to the People’s Republic of China (PRC) to hold discussions with her counterpart, Mr. Yang Jiechi, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the People’s Republic of China, from 25-26 February 2010. The visit takes place within the context of the Strategic Partnership Dialogue between […]