Matuma Letsoala

In the cause of political stability, the Congress of South African Trade Unions resisted the temptation this week to call for President Thabo Mbeki to step down. But it warned that it might raise the question again if the government does not work more closely with the tripartite alliance.

<a href="http://www.mg.co.za/specialreport.aspx?area=zuma_report"><img src="http://www.mg.co.za/ContentImages/243078/zuma.jpg" align=left border=0></a>The National Prosecuting Authority’s (NPA) victory in its fight for the right to use evidence gathered in raids against Jacob Zuma and his associates has cleared the way for Zuma to be recharged before the African National Congress’s December conference.

Cosatu rounded off its congress on Thursday by calling for the National Prosecuting Authority to refrain from further legal action against Jacob Zuma. This was one of several hard-hitting resolutions in favour of the ANC deputy president, whose fortunes have dominated the agenda of the four-day congress.

Gauteng minister of finance Paul Mashatile has declared — but now disowns — what amounts to a cool R50-million stake in a top IT company. If Mashatile’s shareholding were confirmed, he would be saddled with a serious conflict of interests: The company, Business Connexion, has contracts with a government agency, the Gauteng Shared Service Centre, which answers to Mashatile.

Temperatures are rising within the tripartite alliance and the government over allegations that African National Congress deputy president Jacob Zuma received a multimillion-rand donation from Libyan leader Moammar Gadaffi during his recent trip to that country. Two sources in the ANC-led alliance claimed this week to have knowledge that money was donated to help Zuma.

The National Intelligence Agency became embroiled in a rogue investigation involving the illegal interception of the communications of more than 13 highly placed individuals, an investigation by the inspector general (IG) of intelligence has found. The report was released in edited form on Thursday.

Rape allegations against African National Congress deputy president Jacob Zuma appear to have been deliberately leaked in a bid to increase the pressure on Zuma ahead of this weekend’s crucial ANC national executive committee meeting. However, no evidence has come to light to suggest the allegations themselves were manufactured. Zuma, through his attorney, has categorically denied the charge.

Trade unionists have warned that the unified front presented by the tripartite alliance partners at their summit last weekend will fracture unless the African National Congress-led government moves to implement the resolutions adopted at the meeting.The resolutions, suggest greater concord between the alliance partners on economic policy than has existed for a decade.

The Congress of South African Trade Unions (Cosatu) is worried that amendments to immigration law have retained work permit provisions that create inequality between foreign and local workers. And it is adamant that attempts to attract foreign scarce skills should not undermine the training of locals.

As a curtain-raiser to today’s State of the Nation address by President Thabo Mbeki, the government this week launched two flagship programmes to signal the theme of Mbeki’s second term — "implementation". The expanded public works programme was launched on Tuesday; the National Social Security Agency on Thursday. They indicate important trends in Mbeki’s administration in his final term.

"The dirtiest politician in SA?", "Mabona: the family connection", "Mabona, million-buck man". These were some of the headlines that accompanied a series of <i>Mail & Guardian</i> stories in the past few months. The "exoneration" of Mpumalanga’s public works minister is a whitewash based on a flimsy and insubstantial investigation.

The Scorpions have moved in on Walter Senoko, the businessman involved in a scandal alongside Mpumalanga public works minister Steve Mabona. The elite investigative unit last week issued a warrant of arrest for Senoko, whose company Positing Corporate Underwriters and Insurance (PCUIC) has had contracts with Mabona’s department.

A company connected to Mpumalanga minister for public works Steve Mabona got a multimillion-rand contract from his department — as did other companies associated with a Mabona relative. These contracts raise new conflict-of-interest questions about Mabona, whom the <i>M&G</i> last week showed to have received R1-million from another contractor to his department.
<li><a class=’standardtextsmall’ href="http://www.mg.co.za/Content/l3.asp?ao=23202">If at first you don’t succeed…</a>

The national government is mapping out a plan to stem the effects of drought on agriculture and on communal farmers in Limpopo.