Drew Forrest

Diplomats have been stunned by an attack on Australian Prime Minister John Howard by South Africa’s acting Foreign Affairs Director General, Abdul Minty, at a briefing of 20 Commonwealth heads of mission this week.

The star state witness in the treason trial of Zimbabwe opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai has a trail of broken contracts and legal battles that include abortive grain "deals" with two African countries. Menashe was accused of taking $2,6-million for maize without supplying grain.

Depending on one’s viewpoint, they are the embryo of a ‘global citizens movement’ in South Africa, or President Thabo Mbeki’s ultra-left nightmare.

Zimbabweans are now the world’s gloomiest people, finds an end-of-year survey by the Gallup International Association. And – surprise, surprise – they are getting more apprehensive about what lies ahead. 72% of Zimbabweans surveyed believe 2003 will be worse than 2002.

South Africa’s Indian community is the most fearful about what 2003 holds, suggests a newly released Markinor survey on attitudes to the year ahead. Markinor conducted the survey among 3 500 respondents of all races in October and November last year.

Reliable insiders say Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) chief Trevor Abrahams has been suspended pending a forensic investigation of alleged contract irregularities involving his girlfriend.

Neither the DA nor the NNP can convincingly claim a victory after the three-week municipal defection period. The real winner is the ANC.

At least four government departments and three parastatals will pay R140 000 each for a banquet and an exclusive facility called the Network Lounge at the ANC’s national conference in December. This includes the departments of health, water affairs, communications and trade and industry.

The government has proposed that at least 35% of the economy should be in black hands by the year 2014 –sparking fears in big business circles of a fresh round of market jitters. However, the Department of Trade and Industry was quick to distance itself from the proposal yesterday.

The government has proposed that at least 35% of the economy should be in black hands by the year 2014 –sparking fears in big business circles of a fresh round of market jitters.

The US has been branded "the dirty boy" of the summit. How does it respond? Drew Forrest spoke to Jim Connaughton, director of the committee on environmental quality in the White House and a member of the US summit delegation.

AngloGold CEO Bobby Godsell is seen as a key strategist behind the watershed framework deal on black empowerment struck between mining interests and the state at a meeting this week. Godsell had been able to "shepherd" his colleagues towards an accommodation.

President Thabo Mbeki said yesterday he could see no reason for the Congress of South African Trade Unions’s planned anti-privatisation strike, and that the ANC would be talking to Cosatu about the proposed action. Cosatu has announced a national protest strike for October.

Minister of Agriculture and Land Affairs Thoko Didiza and her Director General, Bongiwe Njobe, have contradicted each other over a controversial proposal to re-regulate agricultural marketing.

Outgoing home affairs director general Billy Masetlha this week accused "three or four people close to the minister" of working against democratic progress and the advancement of the majority of South Africans.

If Peter Mokaba did not have Aids, he did everything in his power to suggest the contrary. Is there a single South African who did not raise an eyebrow at the African National Congress’s bland account of his death, as being "from natural causes"?

The government’s apparent desire to grant amnesty to all apartheid-era political criminals is heading for an unexpected obstacle — that of a Constitutional Court challenge by victims. Piers Pigou confirmed that his organisation was exploring legal options.

A major scenario exercise has painted a grim picture of the Southern African region in two decades, suggesting that only a new generation of visionary leaders and an economic growth spurt can reverse the region’s fortunes.

Steve Tshwete’s tough image and impeccable credentials as a struggle icon should not obscure his shortcomings as safety and security minister, writes Drew Forrest.