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/ 17 November 2007

AU says Mugabe invitation a matter of principle

Africa’s insistence that Robert Mugabe be invited to a summit in Europe is a matter of principle and not a sign of support for the Zimbabwean leader or his government, the chairperson of the African Union (AU) said on Friday. The prospect that Mugabe could attend a European Union-AU summit in Lisbon next month has threatened to derail the meeting.

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/ 30 June 2007

Mbeki gives ANC meet a thumbs-up

There had been no ”bitter conflict” at the African National Congress’s (ANC) policy conference this week, party president Thabo Mbeki said in his closing address on Saturday. He told the 1 500 delegates at Gallagher Estate in Midrand that the meeting had been highly successful.

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/ 29 June 2007

ANC nears decision on leadership debate

The African National Congress (ANC) said on Friday it hoped to reach consensus this week on how to elect its next leader, a decision that could rule out national President Thabo Mbeki. ANC secretary general Kgalema Motlanthe told a news conference delegates were debating a number of non-binding proposals on how to resolve the leadership debate.

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/ 12 June 2007

SA to be selective about mining investment

South Africa wants to boost foreign mining investment, but not if it fails to help develop a country still suffering from huge inequality of wealth, the deputy president said on Monday. Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka told a seminar on mining investment she was aware of a debate about the merits of sealing major deals with resource-hungry countries like China.

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/ 7 May 2007

AU calls for upholding of human rights

The African Union should play a vanguard role in upholding human rights on the continent, its chairperson, Ghana president John Agyekum Kufuor, said on Monday. Addressing the opening session of the seventh session of the Pan-African Parliament in Midrand, he said the situations in Sudan and Darfur had exposed limitations of the AU.

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/ 7 May 2007

AU to send 8 000 troops to Somalia

The African Union announced on Monday it would send an extra 8 000 peacekeepers to Somalia but said dialogue remained the only solution to the bloody conflict in that country. "The crisis in that country has so far proved intractable. The AU has decided to send 8 000 troops immediately to assist peacekeeping efforts," AU chairperson John Kufuor said.

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/ 5 May 2007

Leon sees ‘new dawn’ in SA politics

Tony Leon on Saturday delivered his last speech as leader of the Democratic Alliance (DA), predicting that the party would one day bring about a new government in South Africa. In an emotionally charged session of the party’s federal congress in Midrand, he thanked supporters for the ”incredible journey” they had allowed him to take in heading the DA.

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/ 28 March 2007

New victim-centred plan for criminal prosecutions

The criminal justice system must revolve around the victims of crime, said National Director of Public Prosecutions Vusi Pikoli said on Wednesday. ”We want to change our criminal justice system. ”We want to ensure justice for the victims of crime by prosecuting without fear, favour or prejudice and by working with our partners and the public to solve and prevent crime,” Pikoli said.

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/ 3 March 2007

Erwin warns of ‘transformation’ of economy

Every major enterprise in South Africa would learn in the next few years that it had not invested enough for the growth the country, Public Enterprises Minister Alec Erwin warned on Friday evening. ”The public-sector investment alone in the next five years is R420-billion. This has never ever been attempted in South Africa before,” he said.