Vol 51 No 22 | SOUTH AFRICA Party unity trumps national reforms 5th November 2010 To placate the one-time friends who have fallen out with him, the President reshuffles his hand of party cards A second term in office is President Jacob Zuma’s main aim. To see that he gets it, his cabinet reshuffle on 31 October seemed designed to win allies...
Vol 51 No 21 | SOUTH AFRICA Battle of the plans 22nd October 2010 Rival ideas and personalities obstruct a promised plan for growth and the President will not pick a winner between the ideological factions Jacob Zuma notched up a success when the Hawks, the special crime investigation unit, abandoned its inquiries into the arms deal in which it had been alleged that...
Vol 51 No 20 | SOUTH AFRICAEUROPEAN UNION Buttering up Zuma 8th October 2010 In trying to sort out its relations with Africa, Brussels takes care to befriend its main trading partner on the continent South Africa is the European Union's leading trade partner in Africa and the 27 EU countries form its most important trading bloc. Both parties are well aware of...
Vol 51 No 19 | SOUTH AFRICA Postponing the policies 24th September 2010 After fighting back against his detractors at the party summit, Zuma has won himself a few more months to remake his shaky presidency It was a rare victory for President Jacob Zuma. By persuading the governing party’s National General Council (NGC) in Durban on 20-24 September to delay all substantive decisions...
Vol 51 No 19 | SOUTH AFRICA After the council, a reshuffle 24th September 2010 Amid the doctrinal squabbles in Durban, speculation intensfied about how President Jacob Zuma might reshuffle his cabinet. Hard-line presidential allies such as the Communications Minister, General Siphiwe Nyanda,...
Vol 51 No 18 | SOUTH AFRICA President under pressure 10th September 2010 The would-be usurpers plotting against President Jacob Zuma should not underestimate their target’s determination President Jacob Zuma is hitting the media hard with a charm offensive before the governing party’s critical National General Council meeting on 19 September. His plan is to...
Vol 51 No 18 | SOUTH AFRICA Vavi and the unions stake their claim 10th September 2010 Not only have trades unionists pushed the government to accept most of their demands for higher wages and housing allowances but some of their leaders now believe they...
Vol 51 No 17 | SOUTH AFRICA Mounting strikes 27th August 2010 Support is building for the national strike of nurses, teachers and clerks since it was launched on 18 August, presenting two serious threats to President Jacob Zuma’s government....
Vol 51 No 16 | SOUTH AFRICA An uneasy ruling alliance 6th August 2010 The ANC needs stronger leadership to referee the intensifying internal debates ahead of the policy-making conference in September The policies and programmes of the governing African National Congress will be reviewed at the party's National General Council in Durban on 20-24 September. Few of the policies...
Vol 51 No 16 | SOUTH AFRICA Taking sides in the big debate 6th August 2010 The main opposing statements for the National General Council to be held by the governing African National Congress come, firstly, in the official policy document and, secondly, in...