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/ 23 May 2008

‘Deliberate effort’ behind attacks

South Africa’s security chief on Friday accused rightwingers linked to the former apartheid government of fanning xenophobic violence that has spread to Cape Town, the second largest city and tourist centre. At least 42 people have been killed and thousands driven from their homes in 12 days of attacks.

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/ 23 May 2008

City Press wins appeal over Zuma report

City Press has successfully appealed against a press ombudsman finding over the accuracy and fairness of a report on African National Congress president Jacob Zuma, the Press Council Appeals Panel said on Friday. The article, headlined ”Cracks in Zuma’s NEC”, reported that Zuma became angry at a national executive committee [NEC] meeting on January 8.

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/ 20 May 2008

Mbeki: Cops will root out Jo’burg ‘anarchy’

President Thabo Mbeki on Monday reiterated his call for an immediate end to attacks on foreign nationals in Gauteng, which have left 22 people dead and up to 10 000 seeking refuge in shelters. ”Citizens from other countries on the African continent and beyond are as human as we are and deserve to be treated with respect,” the president.

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/ 17 May 2008

Eskom tariff blow may be softened

Any increase in electricity prices should occur gradually over five years, Eskom was told on Friday at a summit in Sandton on the electricity crisis, South African Broadcasting Corporation news reported. The government, labour, the African National Congress and community forums were represented at the summit.

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/ 16 May 2008

ANC pushes for power compromise

The African National Congress and its labour allies called on Friday for electricity prices to rise only gradually, rejecting the state power firm’s appeal for a sharp hike to solve a dire power crisis. ANC secretary general Gwede Mantashe said it would be wrong for Eskom to use price rises to recover from past losses.

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/ 16 May 2008

ANC: SA can’t afford sharp power price hike

South Africa’s economy cannot afford a sharp electricity price increase, a leader of the African National Congress (ANC) said on Friday, adding that Eskom should not be allowed to use pricing to make up past losses. As part of efforts to tackle power shortages and fund infrastructure expansion, Eskom has requested a 53% increase in electricity tariffs.

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/ 15 May 2008

Political parties unite behind Scorpions

The African Christian Democratic Party, Democratic Alliance, Independent Democrats and United Democratic Movement have filed a joint submission in the Pretoria High Court as a friend of the court in support of Hugh Glenister’s bid to stop the disbanding of the Scorpions, the parties said on Thursday.

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/ 11 May 2008

ANC: There’s no bid to oust Mbeki

African National Congress (ANC) president Jacob Zuma has received support from alliance partners to run for presidential elections, ANC secretary general Gwede Mantashe said on Sunday. ”We will not only be accompanying him to court but to the Union Buildings as the next president of South Africa,” he said, announcing the outcome of an alliance.

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/ 10 May 2008

Zuma calls for end to alliance tension

African National Congress (ANC) president Jacob Zuma on Friday called for a closure of the ”chapter of tension and mistrust” between the ruling party and its alliance partners. The relationship between the ANC and its alliance partners had become somewhat strained under the previous leadership of national President Thabo Mbeki.

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/ 6 May 2008

ANC: Khampepe report highlights our views

The African National Congress (ANC) said on Tuesday the Khampepe report highlighted many of its concerns about the Directorate of Special Operations (DSO), which led to its resolution to have the unit moved to the police. ”That report raises the same concerns we are raising, which led to the raising of the ANC resolution,” said the party’s secretary general.

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/ 6 May 2008

ANC says wants senior Zuma ally in Cabinet

The African National Congress (ANC) has asked President Thabo Mbeki to appoint its deputy president to Parliament as a first step to getting him into the Cabinet, an ANC official said on Tuesday. ANC deputy president Kgalema Motlanthe, a left-leaning intellectual and ally of ANC leader Jacob Zuma, has been touted as a compromise presidential candidate.

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/ 1 May 2008

ANC: Power crisis a disaster-in-waiting

The current electricity crisis and the proposed huge jump in tariffs is a manifestation of a disaster-in-waiting, African National Congress (ANC) secretary general and South African Communist Party chairperson Gwede Mantashe said on Thursday. He was speaking at the May Day celebration at Curries Fountain Stadium in Durban.

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/ 1 May 2008

We are all Brazilian

In the samba spirit that the South African Football Association seems to have been seized by, and to welcome Joel Santana, the Brazilian coach, South Africans now have an opportunity to convert their names to Brazilian ones. After all, one Brazilian turn deserves another.

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/ 28 April 2008

DA says Khampepe report to be released on May 5

The full Khampepe commission report will be gazetted on May 5, the official opposition Democratic Alliance (DA) said on Monday. DA leader Helen Zille said the presidency had written to the DA to inform it of the move. Zille said the report was a crucial source of information during the legislative process to decide on the future of the unit.

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/ 15 April 2008

DA, ANC clash over Scorpions

The African National Congress (ANC) on Tuesday accused the Democratic Alliance (DA) of a persistent hatred towards it following a meeting between the parties on the future of the Scorpions. ”The only thing the DA and the Scorpions have in common is their persistent hatred of the ANC,” ANC secretary general Gwede Mantashe said.

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/ 14 April 2008

Zille, Mantashe to meet over Scorpions

The fate of the Scorpions will be discussed at a meeting between African National Congress (ANC) general secretary Gwede Mantashe and Democratic Alliance (DA) leader Helen Zille, the DA said on Monday. The opposition leader called for a meeting with the ANC after a decision was taken to ”dissolve” the Scorpions and incorporate them into the police.

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/ 8 April 2008

Hamstrung ANCYL looks to Mantashe for help

The national congress of the African National Congress Youth League was indefinitely postponed on Monday evening after being unable to finish its work or confirm the results of its leadership election. Electoral commission member Malusi Gigaba told journalists in Bloemfontein that the League would ask the ANC to help solve its differences.

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/ 3 April 2008

Mbalula tells Pityana to wake up and smell the coffee

Outgoing African National Congress Youth League president Fikile Mbalula on Thursday criticised University of South Africa rector Barney Pityana for making ”a clown of himself” regarding his comments about ANC president Jacob Zuma. Mbalula said the league condemned the continued slander by self-imposed political commentators on the integrity of Zuma.

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/ 3 April 2008

Delegates in Bloemfontein for ANCYL conference

Hundreds of delegates arrived at the University of the Free State in Bloemfontein on Thursday for the national conference of the African National Congress Youth League (ANCYL). Although the programme for the day had not started by 11am, delegates already inside and outside the Callie Human Centre were dancing and singing songs, waiting for proceedings to start.

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/ 2 April 2008

DA to meet Mantashe, not Zuma, over Scorpions

African National Congress (ANC) secretary general Gwede Mantashe has agreed to meet the Democratic Alliance (DA) to discuss the future of the Scorpions, DA leader Helen Zille said on Wednesday. ”Unfortunately, Mr Mantashe’s letter indicates that [ANC president] Jacob Zuma will not be attending the meeting, as I originally requested,” she said in a statement.

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/ 1 April 2008

Allies slam ‘dastardly’ attack on Zuma

African National Congress president Jacob Zuma’s allies have rallied to his defence in the wake of University of South Africa rector Barney Pityana’s indictment of his character on Monday. The Young Communist League said it had noted the ”disrespectful and dastardly remarks made by the deplorable” rector.

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/ 28 March 2008

ANC: Mbeki, Zuma have solid working relationship

President Thabo Mbeki and African National Congress (ANC) president Jacob Zuma have established a ”solid working relationship”, the ANC said on Friday. ”Contrary to some expectations, a solid working relationship has been established, with the president of the Republic interacting regularly with the officials,” ANC secretary general Gwede Mantashe said.

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/ 17 March 2008

ANC wants Motlanthe in govt

The African National Congress (ANC) wants its new deputy president, Kgalema Motlanthe, in government, ANC general secretary Gwede Mantashe said on Monday. There has been much speculation on whether the ANC’s new leadership would want one of its own present in President Thabo Mbeki’s government.

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/ 13 March 2008

ANC would campaign against death penalty

The African National Congress would campaign against the death penalty if a referendum was held on the issue, the party’s secretary general Gwede Mantashe said on Wednesday. Mantashe’s remarks follow last week’s statement by party president Jacob Zuma that a referendum should be held if enough South Africans wanted it.

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/ 13 March 2008

In the mind of Motlanthe

"I have interviewed African National Congress deputy president Kgalema Motlanthe seven times between 1999 and 2008, and I have watched him change. Yes, he has been buffeted by the winds of neo-liberalism, but in my last interview with him, I see a far more forthright socialist emerging," writes Ebrahim Harvey.