South Africa’s new Deputy President Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka should address the gap between the ruling African National Congress’ words and deeds and speak out against President Robert Mugabe’s regime in Zimbabwe, says official opposition leader Tony Leon.
There was much ululating as President Thabo Mbeki and former deputy president Jacob Zuma entered this week’s gathering of the African National Congress’s policy conference. One was the overall leader of the country as well as the party while the other had fallen from political grace after being ”released” as the country’s deputy president by Mbeki before a joint sitting of Parliament.
South Africa’s ruling Africa National Congress’s (ANC’s) documents suggest that government is beginning to embrace the Democratic Alliance (DA) economic policies, says official opposition leader Tony Leon. "We have persuaded the ANC to adopt significant DA policy proposals, such as our ‘prisons Policy’", Leon says.
Businessman Cyril Ramaphosa has emerged as the favourite to succeed Thabo Mbeki as president of South Africa in a survey. Finance Minister Trevor Manuel emerges as second favourite choice of South Africans and official opposition leader Tony Leon is in third place.
South African President Thabo Mbeki has reinforced his message that his administration and the ruling party, the African National Congress (ANC), is not in the business of tolerating corruption. He says his ruling party will be providing "clear guidelines" governing its behaviour in the future.
President Thabo Mbeki had established a precedent by dismissing Deputy President Jacob Zuma, says official opposition Democratic Alliance leader Tony Leon. But he should now appoint a judicial commission of inquiry into the arms deal to include an investigation into the role played by Schabir Shaik’s brother, Chippy.
Safety and Security Minister Charles Nqakula, national chairperson of the South African Communist Party, has been named as axed Deputy President Jacob Zuma’s successor as Leader of Government Business in the National Assembly. This may be an indication of whom the president has in mind to fill the Deputy President’s shoes but the Presidency was still not telling on Friday morning.
There was still no clarity on Wednesday as to when President Thabo Mbeki will announce Jacob Zuma’s successor as deputy president — but an acting president has to be appointed to fill the shoes of Mbeki when he is in Nigeria on Sunday.
A total of 25 183 businesses came into being during the financial year ended February 28 2005, says Minister of Finance Trevor Manuel. The minister said that during the same period — March 1 2004 to February 28 this year — 3 449 businesses were liquidated.
Embattled South African Deputy President Jacob Zuma was welcomed in the National Assembly with a standing ovation by his African National Congress MPs on Wednesday afternoon. Zuma slipped through a side entrance of Parliament from the presidential office, Tuynhuys, evading journalists who were waiting for him.