ZANU-PF said no more concessions until sanctions are lifted

The Zimbabwe African National Union- Patriotic Front said it would not make further concessions to the Movement for Democratic Change until sanctions imposed by the European Union had been lifted.

This was three years ago but the European Union has not lifted the sanctions because parties in the inclusive government have not fully implemented the Global Political Agreement.

Ironically, the parties agreed in the GPA that:

“Desirous and committed to bringing to an end the fall in the standards of living of our people, the Parties hereby agree:-

• to endorse the SADC resolution on sanctions concerning Zimbabwe;
• that all forms of measures and sanctions against Zimbabwe be lifted in order to facilitate a sustainable solution to the challenges that are currently facing Zimbabwe; and
• commit themselves to working together in re-engaging the international community with a view to bringing to an end the country’s international isolation.”

Full cable:

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SUBJECT: SOUTH AFRICA POLITICAL NEWSLETTER FEBRUARY 6-FEBRUARY 12

PRETORIA 00000352 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

————-

PAC to call for the removal of President Zuma

¶2. (SBU) The Pan Africanist Congress (PAC) is calling for the

removal of President Jacob Zuma. Spokesperson Mfanelo Skwatsha told

reporters that President Zuma has moved South Africa from being a

miracle country to an international joke. “His bad behavior has

caused a great deal of embarrassment to the country and in the eyes

of the international community,” said Skwatsha. The PAC has

directed all its public representatives and the public to pass a

vote of no confidence in Zuma. The party said it would support the

motion of no confidence, which the Congress of the people (COPE)

said it would introduce in Parliament during the State of the Nation

Address debate this week. (Sowetan, February, 15, 2010)

New land tenure policy

¶3. (SBU) The government will introduce a new draft policy on land

tenure this year aimed at speeding up its program to give land to

landless black people. Rural Development and Land Affairs Minister

Gugile Nkwinti said his department was working on a policy framework

that would set out how the government should go about reversing

inequalities in land ownership between black people and people.

According to Nkwinti, the department of Rural Development and Land

Affairs will table a green paper and will open the debate about

reviewing the whole land tenure system in South Africa. Nkwinti

told reporters that there must be a debate on the 87% to 13% split

in land ownership in South Africa. The expropriation Bill was

submitted to Parliament in 2008 as part of efforts to speed up the

land-reform program, but it was put on hold after opposition

parties, farmers’ bodies and other civic groups protested, arguing

it was unconstitutional. Nkwinti said the proposed Expropriation Act

was being reworked by the Department of Public Works in conjunction

with his ministry and would be tabled in Parliament later this year.

(Mail and Guardian, 14 February, 2010)

COPE and DA MP’s Walk Out of Parliament

¶4. (SBU) Congress of the People (Cope) and the Democratic Alliance

(DA) staged a walkout in Parliament, after deputy speaker Nomaindia

Mfeketo ruled Cope’s Mluleki George out of order. Deputy Speaker

Nomaindia Mfeketo excused Cope MP Mluleki George out of the chamber

because he refused to withdraw a statement he made during the State

of the Nation debate that “with Zuma at the helm, South Africans are

leaderless.” Mfeketo refused to entertain Cope and the DA’s

insistent calls for a debate on the statement. The DA and Cope then

staged a walkout after George was ejected from the house.

(Eyewitness, February, 16, 2010)

Nationalization is Not Government Policy says Zuma

¶5. (SBU) Jacob Zuma repeated firmly on Tuesday that nationalization

is not government policy. Replying to the debate on his State of

the Nation address in the National Assembly, Zuma said, “We have

noted that political formations, including the ruling party’s youth

league, have decided to debate the matter. This is a democratic

Qleague, have decided to debate the matter. This is a democratic

society, and as government, we cannot stop political formations from

debating issues.” Departing from his prepared text, the president

urged those who object to nationalization to argue their case with

the African National Congress Youth League (ANCYL), instead of

asking the party leadership to silence Julius Malema. He also told

MPs that creating decent work remains at the centre of the

government’s economic policies, and he pointed out that the

short-term public works measures embarked on to assist people to

survive the recession do not replace the jobs that must be created

by the formal economy. (Mail and Guardian, February, 16, 2010)

COSATU Says Zuma Fails to Brief Allies on ‘Vision’

¶6. (SBU) On February 15, the Sowetan reported that labor federation

COSATU [Congress of South African Trade Unions] claimed President

Jacob Zuma is treating workers the same way former president Thabo

Mbeki treated them, charging that Zuma kept his allies in the dark

about the content of his State of the Nation Address on Thursday.

Cosatu bosses said although Zuma did not brief them about his vision

for 2010, they assumed he would steer his government and the economy

towards a developmental path that would create more jobs. Cosatu

spokesperson Patrick Craven told Sowetan the union was in the dark

about Zuma’s vision for 2010 and did not know what Finance Minister

Pravin Gordhan’s Budget speech had in store. Cosatu president

S’dumo Dlamini said Zuma’s address exposed the lack of communication

between the government and the tripartite alliance. “The speech

exposes that there is a lack of communication and all of us must

work harder.”

[Description of Source: Johannesburg Sowetan Online in English —

privately-owned weekday regional newspaper targeting a mainstream

black audience and supportive of government policies; Internet:

PRETORIA 00000352 002.2 OF 002

http://www.sowetan.co.za]

Police Minister Warns Reservists Threatening To Disrupt 2010 World

Cup

¶7. (SBU) On 14 February Sunday Times Online reported that Minister

of Police Nathi Mthethwa warned police reservists threatening to

disrupt the World Cup in June if they do not get jobs that he will

not tolerate “such rubbish”. Writing on the party’s website, ANC

Today, Mthethwa says the South African Police Service would not

compromise its minimum recruitment standards to accommodate militant

reservists demanding full-time positions. “We cannot and will not

compromise on the integrity of the police force for the sake of

appeasing those reservists who have failed to meet the basic

criteria and want to hold the process hostage,” he wrote.

[Description of

Source: Johannesburg Sunday Times Online in English — Website of

privately owned Sunday newspaper; URL: http://www.thetimes.co.za/]

——————

International News

——————

European Union Extends Sanctions Against Zimbabwe

¶7. (SBU) State media reported that the European Union decided to

extend sanctions against Zimbabwe for another year. The sanctions

were imposed in 2002 in reaction to allegations of electoral rigging

and human rights abuses by President Robert Mugabe. They include a

ban on the sale of weapons that can be used for internal repression.

The sanctions also prevent Mugabe and his allies from traveling to

EU states and impose an asset freeze on people and firms supporting

the Zimbabwean Government.

[Description of Source: Johannesburg SABC 2 Television in English —

multi-lingual national public service television channel, nominally

independent but partially funded by government]

Zanu-PF to Stall Talks until EU Sanctions Are Lifted

¶8. (SBU) Zimbabwe’s Zanu-PF party says it will not make further

concessions to the Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) until

sanctions imposed by the European Union (EU) are lifted. The EU

decided to extend by a year its sanctions on President Robert Mugabe

and his inner circle. The EU restrictions are at the centre of a

deadlock in the talks. The sanctions bar Mugabe and his aides are

from travelling to EU member states and assets held in the zone are

frozen. The measures also include an arms embargo. It is reported

that the EU is not satisfied with the implementation of the truce

agreement that forms the basis of the country’s unity government.

The MDC says the EU decision points to the need to cleanse the

coalition of its demons, by fully implementing the truce agreement.

As for the talks, the party says they were headed for a dead-end,

even before the extension. (SABCNEWS, February, 16, 2010)

Military Exercise with Germany

¶9. (SBU) SABC News reported on 15 February that four German navy

warships have docked at Simon’s Town to participate in a military

training exercise with the South African Navy. The ongoing exercise

is aimed at sharpening the South African navy’s capabilities to

safeguard the country’s territorial waters during the soccer world

cup and beyond. The German warships arrived at Simon’s Town naval

base carrying over 600 naval crew.

They were welcomed with a 21 gun salute in true military style. “It

coincided with 2010 which we welcome – it enables us, as a force

preparation exercise, to ensure that we are ready for 2010. So we

welcome them back here,” says SA Navy Task Group Commander Captain

Kavin Packer. [Description of Source: Johannesburg SABC News in

QKavin Packer. [Description of Source: Johannesburg SABC News in

English — Online news service of the South African Broadcasting

Corporation; nominally independent but partially funded by

government; http://www.sabcnews.com]

GIPS

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