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SUBJECT: SOUTH AFRICA POLITICAL NEWSLETTER DECEMBER 14-DECEMBER 18
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.
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Domestic News
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Public Broadcaster Appoints Solly Mokoetle New Group Chief Executive
Officer
2. (SBU) SAPA reported that the South African Broadcasting
Corporation (SABC) appointed former Telkom Media chief content
officer Solly Mokoetle as its group chief executive officer. "The
decision to appoint Mr Mokoetle was based on his experience and a
proven track record during the time when the SABC was profitable,
making him the most suitable candidate," the broadcaster's interim
board chairwoman Irene Charnley said. "The board is confident that
his appointment will provide the required leadership to turn around
the SABC while maintaining public broadcasting mandate." Mokoetle,
who was the SABC's chief operations officer between 2001 and
December 2006, takes office on January 1 on a five-year contract.
His appointment followed a R11 million [Rand] (approximately $7.5
million) settlement by the broadcaster to former CEO Dali Mpofu in
August. [Description of Source: Johannesburg SAPA in English --
Cooperative, nonprofit national news agency, South African Press
Association; URL: http://www.sapa.org.za]
ANCYL Leaders Defy Zuma, Attack SACP for "Hostile" Treatment of
Malema
3. (SBU) Provincial ANC Youth League leaders have rallied behind
their humiliated leader, Julius Malema, calling on the ruling party
to discipline senior South African Communist Party (SACP) leaders
Blade Nzimande, Jeremy Cronin and Gwede Mantashe, reported IOL on
December 14. The league's fresh broadside called for Mantashe's
position as ANC secretary-general to be "reviewed" at the ANC's
national general council next year. In clear defiance of ANC
President Jacob Zuma's call for insults and name-calling to end,
youth league firebrands referred to delegates at the party's special
weekend congress in Polokwane as "well-briefed hooligans and dogs"
for booing Malema on the first day of its meeting in Limpopo.
Malema had been invited as a guest but was booed, along with ANC NEC
member Billy Masetlha. Denied an opportunity to address delegates
from the stage about the hostile reception they'd received, Malema
later stalked out. [Description of Source: Johannesburg IOL in
English -- Independent Online, website carrying selected items from
various publications, privately owned by Independent Newspaper
Company; URL: http://www.iol.co.za]
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International News
------------------
Zuma's Zimbabwe Facilitators "Optimistic" ZANU-PF Will Abide by
Agreements
4. (SBU) The Star reported on December 15 that President Jacob
Zuma's Zimbabwe facilitators remain convinced that Zanu-PF will
stick to its agreements in the unity government, despite the weekend
Zanu-PF congress resolution that the party would make no more
concessions to its opponents. Lindiwe Zulu, Zuma's foreign policy
adviser who serves on the Presidency's Zimbabwe facilitation team
with former cabinet ministers Mac Maharaj and Charles Nqakula, said
on December 14 that the congress resolution was cause for concern.
Qon December 14 that the congress resolution was cause for concern.
Nevertheless, she remained optimistic, based on the facilitation
team's experience with Zanu-PF negotiations. "We truly believe that
Zanu-PF signed up to agreements and has to stick to those
agreements," she added. [Description of Source: Johannesburg The
Star Online in English -- Internet version of weekday regional
newspaper, privately owned by Independent Newspaper Company; URL:
http://www.thestar.co.za/]