Vol 48 No 22 | SOUTH AFRICA Shooting the messenger 2nd November 2007 One thing unites the factions in the bitter infighting for the succession in the governing African National Congress: they all hate the media After the toughest weeks of his presidency, Thabo Mbeki basked in the national euphoria generated by the Springboks’ Rugby World Cup victory over England in Paris. He used the triu...
Vol 48 No 22 | SOUTH AFRICAZIMBABWEBRITAIN Scrum half 2nd November 2007 Relations between Britain and South Africa, not helped by the Springboks’ 15-6 defeat of England in the Rugby World Cup in Paris on 20 October, have become poisonous again ov...
Vol 48 No 21 | SOUTH AFRICAANALYSIS Zuma, Buthelezi and the Zulu nation 19th October 2007 The exit of Inkatha leader Mangosuthu Buthelezi from politics and the rise and rise of Jacob Zuma as a national leader with an unassailable base in KwaZulu-Natal is a moment of truth for South Africa’s Zulus. The Inkatha Freedom Party, so long dominant in KwaZulu-Natal (KZN), is losing its grip and risks disintegration. Its leader, Chief Mangosuthu Buthelezi, told its national conferenc...
Vol 48 No 21 | SOUTH AFRICA A king's ransom 19th October 2007 The King of the Zulus, Goodwill Zwelithini, has been allocated 30 million rand (US$4.4 mn.) by the state for the 2006/2007 financial year. There are fears that he could overspend b...
Vol 48 No 21 | SOUTH AFRICA Take me to your traditional leader 19th October 2007 President Thabo Mbeki's attempts to reform the system of traditional leaders to bring it into line with democracy are not universally popular. Traditional leaders are resisting, es...
Vol 48 No 20 | SOUTH AFRICA Exit Pikoli, Chief Prosecutor 5th October 2007 Factions in the security services are fighting their own battles as the contest for the national leadership heats up The suspension by President Thabo Mbeki of the National Director of Public Prosecutions, Vusi Pikoli, may foreshadow a constitutional crisis. At the very least, it embitters the co...
Vol 48 No 20 | SOUTH AFRICA Zuma in the sights 5th October 2007 Insiders say that President Thabo Mbeki is frustrated by the National Prosecuting Authority's inability to make headway in its case against Jacob Zuma. Last September, Judge Herber...
Vol 48 No 20 | SOUTH AFRICA Intelligence in a divided house 5th October 2007 South Africa's intelligence services, police and army appear rudderless, with increasingly limited civilian or democratic oversight. Vusi Pikoli is the fifth chief of a security de...
Vol 48 No 19 | SOUTH AFRICA No holds barred 21st September 2007 The gloves are off in the fight for the African National Congress presidential nomination Formally, the race to lead the African National Congress starts in October and its presidential candidate will be elected by a national conference in December. Yet the leading cont...
Vol 48 No 18 | SOUTH AFRICAECONOMY Putting the country to work 7th September 2007 The new grand industrial strategy is the most important economic initiative since GEAR After many years of debate among politicians, business and unions, the draft of a grand industrial strategy for South Africa has emerged in time for the party conference in Decembe...