Not only is the African National Congress (ANC)-led alliance plagued by a debilitating succession battle, it is also riven with economic policy fissures. Allegations of corruption in the ANC, linking senior members to lucrative state tenders and patronage networks, have sparked tender wars in the state, and are often the leitmotif for power struggles in […]
Category: politics
SHOOTING THE MESSENGER – editorial
So far the tenure of Police Minister Nathi Mthethwa, his deputy Fikile Mbalula and Police Commissioner Bheki Cele, has been characterised by rhetorical bombast and ham-fisted populism. With deadly results. Their “shoot-to-kill” comments have led to the murder of at least two innocents. This week they dusted off apartheid-era legislation to subpoena e.tv’s news editor […]
POWER TO THE PEOPLE? – editorial
Not often is an intelligent man reduced to such incoherence as was ANC secretary general Gwede Mantashe this week when he claimed there was nothing wrong with the ANC benefiting from multibillion-rand contracts in Eskom’s new-build programme. He was defending the indefensible and he knew it, since it is a point long conceded by his […]
JZ NEEDS TO WATCH THE BALL – editorial
South Africans might be hoping that the three-day cabinet lekgotla which wrapped up yesterday gives rise to a fresh commitment to addressing the many challenges facing the country. These range from what is now an obvious crisis in education to the failure of service delivery, with quite a lot in between. President Jacob Zuma’s well-intentioned […]
ANC WANTS DRASTIC CHANGES IN CANDIDATES SELECTION
The ANC wants ordinary South Africans to help select ruling-party candidates for national, provincial and municipal legislatures, and says its own MPs must ask their cabinet colleagues tough questions. These drastic proposals were contained in a paper presented by ANC secretary-general Gwede Mantashe at the ANC national executive committee lekgotla – an expanded meeting – […]
MALEMA, TRIPARTITE ALLIANCE SMOKE PEACE PIPE
ANC Youth League President Julius Malema says he has made peace with tripartite alliance members following his heckling by SACP officials in Polokwane last December. Malema was addressing students at the Free State University. Malema says differences in opinion do not mean there is a crisis in the alliance. He says there should be robust […]
JULIUS MALEMA PULLS OUT RACE CARD AGAIN
Do not be afraid to confront issues of race, ANC Youth League president Julius Malema told Free State students on Friday. “It is a most sensitive issue; while you speak against it you are declared a racist. If you are not strong, you will retreat,” he said in Bloemfontein. Mr Malema was speaking at the […]
COPE YOUTH UP IN ARMS
Mosiuoa Lekota’s supporters in the Cope Youth Movement say they will defy Monday’s deadline for comments on a controversial discussion document. The “Cope in 2010: The Youth Perspective” document, written by the youth movement’s national secretary, Malusi Booi, was leaked last week. The document calls for Cope’s Central Committee to disband. It also proposes that […]
NO ANTI-LEFT PLOT, SAYS ANCYL
The ANC Youth League (ANCYL) says it has not begun any discussion around leadership succession in the ANC (African National Congress), denying reports it was working on a plan to stem the ascendance of the left in the party. In a statement released at the weekend by the ANCYL, the youth league said it would […]
ANC LEKGOTLA ENDS EARLIER THAN PLANNED
A media briefing following the ANC’s lekgotla will take place on Monday morning in Johannesburg, a spokesperson said. The four-day conference to discuss the government’s programme for the year ahead would conclude on Sunday, a day earlier than expected, Ishmael Mnisi said. The lekgotla is held annually to develop a programme from the January 8 […]