Eliminate all resistance

[duncan drennan]

Quite a hard hitting piece here called Don Zuma and the untouchables.

Yes, this was an interesting one! It is time for the ANC to start acting like they mean what they say, and for people to call them out on their inconsistencies (as well as any other party's).

I see that there are going to be debates screened on one of the SABC channels - hopefully it will be interesting. I think it would be good to try to achieve the same levels of interest in those debates as the USA presidential debates.

[Dave A]

And the shooting of a whistle-blower on ANC corruption, although on balance if that was a hit there was some pretty shoddy marksmanship involved...

Although the first part of this link is about Chris Grib skipping the country, the next story lower down revolves around the now deceased whistle-blower. Perhaps it was a hit after all.

[IanF]

Is this true!

I can't believe from M&G

Zuma seeks to fast-track corruption cases
MANDY ROSSOUW | JOHANNESBURG, SOUTH AFRICA
ANC president Jacob Zuma wants to create “shortcuts” in dealing with corruption so that others do not suffer the same fate as him when he was accused of corruption and fraud.

Zuma addressed the 400 delegates at the party’s list conference in Esselen Park outside Johannesburg where he complained that the “route to deal with corruption is too long”.

Zuma will be the party’s presidential candidate for the upcoming elections, but he is on trial for corruption and fraud, a case the ANC perceives as a political trial in which he has been unfairly treated.

“We must find a way to shorten the route to deal with corruption. The route is too long because it allows people to run off the tracks. Some of us are said to be involved in one thing or the other. You begin to have people harden [their] attitudes towards others,” he said.

Link here this, I gave up on politicians after seeing the Nats in action in the 80s now ANC has sunk even lower. The irony and naivetie of the ANC members leaves me speechless

[Yvonne]

I have tried to find any articles on Mbeki's personal security officer without any success. Surely that in itself is seriously odd?

Yvonne

[I Robot]

K Motlanthe assents to NPA and SAPS amendment bills

President has assented to the National Prosecuting Authority Amendment Bill, 2008 and the South African Police Service Amendment Bill, 2008.

30 January 2009

President Kgalema Motlanthe has assented to the National Prosecuting Authority Amendment Bill, 2008 and the South African Police Service Amendment Bill, 2008.

After careful consideration of the submissions received on the above Bills, the President finds that there is no basis for constitutional reservations as contemplated in section 79(1) of the Constitution of the Republic of South Africa, 1996.

More...

[Dave A]

So that's it. Bye bye Scorpions. Thanks for all the good work.

[Dave A]

Now who to pick as head of the NPA?

Durban advocate Muzi Mkhize, tipped to take over as national prosecutions boss, is up to his neck in the Land Bank scandal. Mkhize admitted under oath to complicity in what amounts to corrupt attempts to secure multimillion-rand loans from the bank.

He partnered Kobus Boshoff, now on trial for fraud, and top Land Bank officials in companies that submitted the loan applications and allegedly channelled kickbacks to the officials.

The officials, Mkhize stated in an affidavit, had to "co-ordinate the loan applications" in return for "benefits in the transaction or companies".

The affidavit was made during official investigations into hundreds of millions of rands irregularly lent by the bank. The scandal culminated in Cabinet removing the bank from Agriculture Minister Lulu Xingwana's portfolio last July and handing it to Finance Minister Trevor Manuel to clean up the mess.

Mkhize was not available for comment on Thursday. Speculation has been rife this week that Mkhize will replace Vusi Pikoli as national director of public prosecutions.

A senior National Prosecuting Authority official said this week he had heard some weeks ago that Mkhize was likely to be his new boss. A top Justice Department official confirmed: "He does appear to be one of the front-runners."
full story from M&G here

Yep. He'll be perfect!

[garthu]

Oh wait i get it... need a crook to catch a crook...

[Graeme]

And he will fit in so perfectly!

[Dave A]

It seems this last weekend was a pretty exciting one in the Nongoma area. We have a pedestrian knocked down by the Zuma cavalcade, police and IFP supporter clashes, and some pot shots taken.

Now the ANC has taken the matter up iwth the IEC.

The African National Congress (ANC) on Tuesday lodged a complaint with the Independent Electoral Commission (IEC) about violence in Nongoma, which the party claimed was perpetrated by Inkatha Freedom Party (IFP) supporters.

ANC chairperson in KwaZulu-Natal Dr Zweli Mkhize handed the complaint to the province's chief electoral officer, Mawethu Mosery, at the IEC's office in Durban.

"The grievance arises from an accumulation of our experience on IFP violence and [its] hostile attitude towards the ANC every election since 1994.

"Our view is that the IFP has taken a deliberate long-term view that they will never allow the ANC to freely campaign in Ulundi and Nongoma, even if that results in the death of their opponents."

"The ANC would like the IEC to examine the eligibility of Ulundi and Nongoma areas for purposes of forthcoming elections, on the grounds that free campaigning is deliberately opened to one party, the IFP.

"This they do on strength and reliance on capacity for physical attack on the ANC."

Speaking after receiving the complaint, Mosery said the IEC was aggrieved by the contents of the complaint.

"We will deal with the complaint immediately because we believe that free campaigning is one of the pillars of democracy," he said.
full story from M&G here

I'm really delighted to hear the IEC feels that way. I wonder how the IEC has faired with all the anti-COPE nonsense by ANC supporters mentioned on page 4 of this same thread?

[Dave A]

The Democratic Alliance (DA) will not be intimidated by political thugs, party leader Helen Zille said on Thursday.

Zille alleged that the African National Congress (ANC) had bussed in supporters to Siyabuswa, Mpumalanga, where they barricaded a community hall in an attempt to stop her from speaking.

"It didn't succeed. We simply pushed past them and got on with it. We will not be intimidated by political thugs," she told a crowd at Embalenhle Stadium in Secunda, Mpumalanga.

However, ANC spokesperson Lindiwe Zulu denied the party was behind the alleged intimidation of the DA or any other parties.

She said: "As a matter of principle, the ANC never at any point mobilised anyone to intimidate opposition parties. We do not mobilise people to do such things.

"If anyone can bring proof of any of our members being involved in such intimidation I can assure you that we will deal with it internally," Zulu said.
full story from M&G here

They'll probably have their ANC t-shirts confiscated and have a street named after them instead

[Dave A]

This Zille Western Cape cabinet business is getting way out of hand.

The fallout over Premier Helen Zille's appointment of an all-male, mostly white provincial executive has intensified with a flurry of insults as well as threats of strikes and hauling her before the Equality Court.
full story from IOL here

Personally I think Helen Zille has shot herself in the foot with this cabinet selection. She can justify as much as she likes - her game nowadays is politics and if this is the DA's flagship as to how they would run the rest of the country... Well, the lack of representivity is not very encouraging.

More ominous is the response from COSATU, the ANCYL and the YCL, particularly COSATU. It is clear there is no intention of giving the DA any breathing room to prove themselves, which is in rather stark contrast to the "let's give him a chance" space being afforded to Jacob Zuma and co.

In the performance race between the DA in the Western Cape and the ANC elsewhere, the ANC has clearly got off to an early lead.

What I can't decide in this rapid escalation on the issue is whether Helen was simply asking for trouble, or whether the tripartite alliance was going to go all out to eliminate the DA threat of a successful tenure at the helm anyway.

[Morticia]

Personally I think Helen Zille has shot herself in the foot with this cabinet selection.

Me thinks too much Botox has befuddled Mme Zille's brains.

[Marq]

I think Helen Zille has shot herself in the foot

I don't agree.

Like you indicated, the ANC have attacked Zille since day one that the DA won the Province.

I see this as just another organised ANC attack on the DA.

"An absolute majority of South Africans support President Jacob Zuma and will find it very disgusting for a fake, racist, apartheid agent to continue undermining the highest office in South Africa,"

This is a common thread by the ANCYL - and COSATU representing the ANC, just stirring it up, making the province ungovernable for the DA and trying to show the world that their opposition is not doing a great job.

Sure the DA composition is not representative but then neither is the ANC's makeup and they do not have room to throw racial tones into every argument.

Just a bunch of sore losers at this stage, that cannot see the big picture. Perhaps if the ANC had backed off and allowed the DA to get underway with proper governance, planning and alliance building, Zille would have appointed a different selection. It appears to be a common thread amongst politicians to swing the pendulum completely the opposite way when making decisions, to show the potential disaster and then backing off slightly, looking as if they have given something back. Maybe she has learned from the ANC. Nothing new here.

One thing I think for sure, is that Zille and the DA will not be allowed to govern the Cape properly and that we will see this pattern of 'dirty politics' for the next four years. I just hope that it does not get too ugly....but have an idea that this may just be the beginning.

[sgafc]

I am no sympathiser of President Zuma. And despite not voting thought the opposition would make an impact, but Zille attack on Zumas womanising was not only below the belt(no pun intended), but extremely childish..