/ 15 May 2008

Go now, Mbeki

The horror facing Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) members in Zimbabwe became apparent this week as photographs of injuries sustained in post-election violence began to filter out of the country.

The photographs, which have been

The government’s astonishing bid to protect police National Commissioner Jackie Selebi from being arrested was laid bare this week in minute detail by suspended prosecutions boss Vusi Pikoli.

2. Mbeki ‘ignored judges’ on Zim’s 2002 poll

President Thabo Mbeki’s role as a mediator in the Zimbabwean crisis took another knock after disclosures that he ignored the advice of two judges he commissioned to observe that country’s 2002 general elections, Business Day reported on Monday.

3. Australia’s secret, dirty empire

When the outside world thinks about Australia, it generally turns to venerable clichés of innocence — cricket, leaping marsupials, endless sunshine, no worries.

4. Palace coup at SABC stirs up hornet’s nest in ANC

South African Broadcasting Corporation (SABC) boss Dali Mpofu suspended his news chief Snuki Zikalala this week because the SABC board was intent on replacing him with Zikalala as acting CEO of the broadcaster. The board wanted to suspend Mpofu for insubordination and mismanagement.

5. The ANC’s two left feet

The ANC’s left-wing allies are to propose the revamping of the Cabinet, among other far-reaching government reforms, at the first tripartite alliance summit organised under Jacob Zuma’s leadership of the ruling party.

6. Why Eskom really stopped load-shedding

Eskom’s sudden ability to stop load-shedding despite claiming for months that it did not have enough capacity to meet national demand has confused public and industry insiders.

7. Pressure mounts on Zim amid violence

Pressure mounted on the Zimbabwe government on Thursday to admit foreign observers to oversee a presidential election run-off amid fresh claims that pro-government militias were instilling terror in communities in the countryside.

8. Zille: Mbeki should step down as president

President Thabo Mbeki must go, and he must go now, Democratic Alliance (DA) leader Helen Zille said on Monday.

9. African ministers meet Mugabe over political crisis

A high-ranking delegation of Southern African ministers met Zimbabwe leader Robert Mugabe on Wednesday to discuss the country’s political impasse ahead of a pending presidential run-off, state media reported.

10. As prices soar, Zimbabwe hopes for end to turmoil

Before Zimbabwe’s disputed elections in March, Z$2-billion could get you a room in a five-star hotel. Today, Gabriel Matope hopes it will buy him two litres of cooking oil — if he can find some.

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