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/ 21 January 2008
South Africa was set on Monday to ration electricity in a bid to stem a spiralling crisis that has dealt a severe blow to its status as the continent’s economic powerhouse. After mounting anger over daily power cuts that have cost business hundreds of millions of rands, the government said it was drawing up plans that could see consumers fined if they exceed set quotas.
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/ 21 January 2008
The African National Congress (ANC) is getting rid of the Scorpions in order to protect ANC members from corruption charges, according to the leader of the Democratic Alliance, Helen Zille. Zille said on Monday that besides the seven convicted criminals on the ANC’s national executive committee (NEC), six NEC members are currently the subject of investigations.
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/ 21 January 2008
Nationwide power failures shut down basic services across Zambia and Zimbabwe for hours over the weekend, and Eskom said it would suspend exports to neighbouring countries amid mounting anger over power cuts that have wreaked havoc in the continent’s economic hub.
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/ 20 January 2008
It has not been decided whether African National Congress (ANC) deputy president Kgalema Motlanthe will become South Africa’s deputy president, the party’s secretary general, Gwede Mantashe, said on Sunday at the close of the ANC national executive committee’s meeting in Midrand.
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/ 20 January 2008
Nationwide power failures shut down basic services across Zambia and Zimbabwe for hours on Saturday and Sunday as anger mounted in South Africa over power cuts that have wreaked havoc in the continent’s economic hub. There was no immediate explanation for Saturday night’s blackout.
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/ 18 January 2008
There is a ”rising tide” of corruption in the South African Police Service [SAPS], Democratic Alliance leader Helen Zille alleged on Friday. ”Minister of Safety and Security [Charles Nqakula] and the leadership of the SAPS need to find the political will to acknowledge the grave threat that police corruption poses to our country,” she said in her weekly newsletter.
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/ 17 January 2008
Outrage over the country’s ongoing power cuts spread among business, agricultural and political sectors on Thursday as Eskom announced that the risk for continued cuts over the weekend remained high. ”Load shedding will continue today [Thursday] until after evening peak and the possibility of load shedding remains high,” said Eskom.
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/ 17 January 2008
A ”wish list” of proposals that could improve service delivery has been sent to the Gauteng premier, the Democratic Alliance said on Thursday. Spokesperson and member of the provincial legislature Jack Bloom compiled the list. It has been sent to Premier Mbhazima Shilowa, and includes the actions Bloom believes would improve service delivery.
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/ 17 January 2008
The National Assembly on Thursday passed the Bill for which it was specially called back from holiday. The Choice on Termination of Pregnancy Amendment Bill was passed without debate, but with parties giving a three-minute explanation of their vote. The Bill passed by 266 votes to 52, with 12 abstentions.
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/ 17 January 2008
South Africa’s future growth could be severely compromised by the country’s lack of sufficient power capacity, the Democratic Alliance (DA) said on Thursday. DA spokesperson Hendrik Schmidt said: ”South Africa’s lack of reserve power capacity has now reached catastrophic proportions and if left unchecked threatens to undermine future growth prospects.”
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/ 16 January 2008
Democratic Alliance leader Helen Zille has requested an urgent meeting with President Thabo Mbeki to discuss what she calls ”the growing perception of a constitutional and moral crisis” in South Africa. ”The implication of the police national commissioner and the ruling party’s presidential candidate in corruption cases is but one reason for this perception.”
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/ 16 January 2008
The South African Police Service has accused the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) of trying to obstruct the probe into Gauteng Scorpions head Gerrie Nel. This comes a day after the Pretoria Regional Court withdrew charges of corruption and defeating the ends of justice against Nel.
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/ 15 January 2008
The North West provincial government on Tuesday condemned the ”racist” killing of four people at the Skielik informal settlement. A 17-year-old was arrested in connection with the deaths on Tuesday after police launched a manhunt on Monday.
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/ 15 January 2008
The Presidency on Tuesday defended Thabo Mbeki’s handling of police National Commissioner Jackie Selebi’s case. Addressing reporters at the Union Buildings, Mbeki’s legal adviser, Mojanku Gumbi, said Mbeki acted immediately when he learned that the National Prosecuting Authority was ready to proceed with action against Selebi.
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/ 15 January 2008
Opposition parties on Tuesday voiced their concern over Eskom’s inability to avert a power crisis in the country, with the Freedom Front Plus (FF+) calling for the appointment of a multiparty task team to handle the situation. FF+ spokesperson on energy Willie Spies said it was evident that the government did not have the capacity to deal with the current power crisis.
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/ 15 January 2008
The Cape High Court on Tuesday again postponed the Delft eviction case — the application will now take place on January 29. The court furthermore urged Democratic Alliance city councillor Frank Martin to engage a lawyer to represent him in proceedings.
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/ 15 January 2008
President Thabo Mbeki should explain to Parliament why he is reluctant to reinstate suspended National Prosecution Authority head Vusi Pikoli, the Democratic Alliance (DA) said on Tuesday. ”President Mbeki needs to clarify his position on the DA’s call for him to brief Parliament on his refusal to review his decision to suspend advocate Vusi Pikoli,” the DA said.
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/ 15 January 2008
The Democratic Alliance (DA) will call for a parliamentary debate on national power cuts as soon as possible, it said on Tuesday. Spokesperson and MP Hendrik Schmidt said electricity cuts were becoming unmanageable for ordinary South Africans and that the resolution of these cuts was of national importance.
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/ 15 January 2008
Defence Minister Mosiuoa Lekota has reportedly been arrested for speeding. The South African Broadcasting Corporation reported that Lekota was charged, at the Mondeor police station just before midnight on Sunday, with reckless and negligent driving.
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/ 14 January 2008
The Democratic Alliance on Monday asked the Independent Complaints Directorate to investigate the arrest of Gauteng Scorpions boss Gerrie Nel. This came after charges of corruption and defeating the administration of justice against Nel were withdrawn in the Pretoria Regional Court.
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/ 14 January 2008
South Africa’s embattled police force on Monday sought to reassure the crime-ridden country after a weekend that saw its police chief placed on extended leave in a widening corruption scandal. The South African Police Service was under intense public scrutiny before it was disclosed last week that Jackie Selebi would face charges of corruption and defeating the course of justice.
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/ 14 January 2008
Charges against Gerrie Nel, the head of the Directorate of Special Operations, or the Scorpions, in Gauteng, were withdrawn in the Pretoria Regional Court on Monday. ”After careful consideration of the evidence in the docket, the decision was made to withdraw the charges,” chief prosecutor Matric Lupondo said during Nel’s brief appearance.
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/ 13 January 2008
Police National Commissioner Jackie Selebi has been granted an extended leave of absence, President Thabo Mbeki said on Saturday. Speaking at the Union Buildings in Pretoria, Mbeki said Selebi had requested the leave himself. This follows Friday’s revelations by the National Prosecuting Authority that it was ready to charge Selebi with corruption, fraud, money laundering and racketeering.
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/ 12 January 2008
Police National Commissioner Jackie Selebi has quit as head of international crime-fighting body Interpol, the organisation said on Sunday. The news follows President Thabo Mbeki’s announcement on Saturday that Selebi, who faces allegations of corruption, fraud, racketeering and defeating the ends of justice, was going on extended leave of absence.
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/ 11 January 2008
Police National Commissioner Jackie Selebi is to be charged with corruption and defeating the course of justice after his application to prevent the National Prosecuting Authority from prosecuting him was denied in the Pretoria High Court on Friday. Judge Nico Coetzee said Selebi’s application bore no merit.
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/ 11 January 2008
The deepest divisions in the African National Congress were driven not by ideology, but by greed and lust for power, Democratic Alliance leader Helen Zille said on Friday. Writing in her first online newsletter of the year, she said that given the richness of the spoils on offer, it was not surprising that bitter rivalries had developed between factions.
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/ 11 January 2008
The Umkhonto weSizwe Veterans’ Association (MKVA) has condemned what it says is the ”demonisation” of former African National Congress chief whip Tony Yengeni by ”certain elements in the media and elsewhere”. ”Comrade Tony Yengeni never stole any money nor killed anybody,” the MKVA said in a statement on Friday.
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/ 10 January 2008
More than a month after he was suspended for his role in Tony Yengeni’s alleged drunk-driving incident, a senior Western Cape police officer does still not know the date of his disciplinary hearing. ”People from disciplinary management are closer to setting a date,” said Western Cape police spokesperson Director Novela Potelwa.
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/ 10 January 2008
Police National Commissioner Jackie Selebi’s bid to stop the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) from proceeding with prosecution against him will be heard in the Pretoria High Court on Friday. Selebi has brought an urgent application seeking more information about the charges the NPA intends levelling against him.
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/ 10 January 2008
Finance Minister Trevor Manuel said on Thursday that he did not have any concerns about the direction fiscal policy might take following the victory of Jacob Zuma at the African National Congress’s leadership conference in Polokwane last month. He said fears about fiscal policy were just so much hype.
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/ 10 January 2008
Helen Zille, leader of the opposition Democratic Alliance and mayor of Cape Town, has called on President Thabo Mbeki and Jacob Zuma, the leader of the African National Congress, to convene an urgent meeting to discuss how they plan to prevent their conflict from paralysing the government.
The arrest of Gauteng Scorpions boss Gerrie Nel is a witch-hunt to protect police National Commissioner Jackie Selebi, said the Democratic Alliance on Wednesday. ”The axing of Vusi Pikoli and now Gerrie Nel has all the appearance of a witch-hunt to protect Selebi,” said DA spokesperson on Safety and Security Dianne Kohler Barnard.