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/ 5 September 2008
Mugabe this week gave Morgan Tsvangirai until Thursday to sign the proposed power-sharing agreement.
Power-sharing talks between Zimbabwe’s rival political parties were going smoothly on Monday, a South African official said.
President Robert Mugabe has ”declared war” in Zimbabwe, said opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai on Wednesday from inside the Dutch embassy in Harare.
Leaders will hold an meeting in Swaziland on Wednesday to discuss the crisis in Zimbabwe but key negotiator President Thabo Mbeki will not attend.
Zimbabwean opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai withdrew on Sunday from the June 27 presidential run-off election.
A South African mediation team was in Zimbabwe on Saturday as part of efforts to resolve the country’s political crisis.
Zimbabwe’s opposition presidential candidate resumed campaigning on Thursday, the morning after he spent nine hours in police detention.
The Zimbabwean opposition leader, Morgan Tsvangirai, has told President Thabo Mbeki that he is no longer fit to serve as the region’s mediator in Zimbabwe’s political crisis owing to a ”lack of neutrality”, and that ”there will be no country left” if Mbeki continues to side with President Robert Mugabe.
President Thabo Mbeki must release the letter he allegedly wrote to George Bush asking the American president to ”butt out” of Zimbabwe, the Democratic Alliance said on Thursday. Mbeki’s four-page letter to Bush apparently criticised the United States for taking sides against Zimbabwean president Robert Mugabe.
As the sun set on another bloody day of xenophobic violence in Gauteng on Monday, at least 22 people were reported dead, many more injured and 217 arrested for fierce attacks on both foreigners and local residents living in the greater Johannesburg area. Aid organisations were assisting thousands of refugees at civic centres and police stations.
Public Enterprises Minister Alec Erwin would retire after the elections next year, a media report said on Monday. ”The minister would like to confirm that he would not be serving another term. His decision was taken long before the change in African National Congress leadership,” said his spokesperson Vimla Maistry.
A controversial shipment of arms from China and destined for Zimbabwe has arrived in Harare, the Weekender newspaper reported on Saturday — apparently thanks to assistance by the South African government. There are fears that President Robert Mugabe is planning to use force to storm back to power in Zimbabwe.
The Ginwala commission set up to inquire into the suspension of National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) head Vusi Pikoli said on Saturday it was aware that Pikoli is allegedly being blackmailed by a hacker. Commission spokesperson Lawson Naidoo said the commission had been notified by Pikoli’s lawyers.
A hacker has allegedly gained access to suspended National Prosecuting Authority head Vusi Pikoli’s computer and is attempting to blackmail him, his attorney said on Friday. ”An individual is claiming to have hacked Mr Pikoli’s system. The hacker is threatening to release Mr Pikoli’s documents to the press, if he is not paid,” said his attorney Aslam Moosajee.
President Thabo Mbeki was to brief a group of African religious leaders on the situation in Zimbabwe on Friday, his spokesperson said. The briefing would focus on his mediation efforts, but it ”may touch on current issues”, said Mukoni Ratshitanga.
The Presidency on Tuesday could not confirm reports that African National Congress deputy president Kgalema Motlanthe would be deployed to the Cabinet within days. ”I don’t know … I have not been advised on anything,” said presidential spokesperson Mukoni Ratshitanga.
The presidency has launched an 11th-hour bid to prevent embarrassing confidential information behind the suspension of National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) boss Vusi Pikoli from being made public. Hours before Pikoli was to release documents detailing what he told President Thabo Mbeki and others about Jackie Selebi’s alleged corruption, he received a settlement offer from the government.
President Thabo Mbeki is blatantly violating human rights, the Inkatha Freedom Party (IFP) claimed in a document handed to Amnesty International on Friday. The party’s chief whip, Koos van der Merwe, handed a written complaint against Mbeki to a representative of Amnesty International in Pretoria.
South Africa will work with other countries in the region to ensure the will of the Zimbabwean people is reflected, Deputy Foreign Affairs Minister Aziz Pahad said on Thursday. The country has joined the chorus of international calls for Zimbabwe to release the results of its March 29 presidential election as soon as possible.
The Presidency and Justice Ministry on Friday claimed to have no knowledge of Scorpions boss Leonard McCarthy’s attempts to resign. They also claimed to know nothing about President Thabo Mbeki’s reported refusal to accept the resignation letter. ”There’s no such thing,” said Presidential spokesperson Mukoni Ratshitanga.
The Presidency has denied reports that it intends to declare May 2 a public holiday, saying the issue has not yet been finalised. Two union federations have called on the president to declare this Thursday a public holiday because Human Rights Day and Good Friday both fall on the same day, on Friday.
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/ 13 February 2008
The Presidency said on Wednesday that it would have to consult President Thabo Mbeki before commenting on a report quoting former ambassador to France Barbara Masekela. In the report, Masekela is quoted as saying she had arranged a meeting between Mbeki and an arms company that is the co-accused in Jacob Zuma’s corruption trial.
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/ 29 January 2008
The Presidency on Tuesday denied that anti-apartheid activist John Minto had been nominated for a prestigious national order, which Minto said he would decline on the grounds that the situation in South Africa was worse than under white rule. Minto published a letter to President Thabo Mbeki on his website.
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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
President Thabo Mbeki is to meet the management of electricity utility Eskom to ascertain the depth of the current power-supply crisis and the company’s remedial plans, the Presidency said on Saturday. Mbeki will table the matter before the forthcoming Cabinet lekgotla (meeting) that begins in Pretoria on Tuesday.
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/ 18 January 2008
It was unclear on Friday whether President Thabo Mbeki will attend the African National Congress’s (ANC) three-day national executive committee lekgotla (meeting) in Midrand. Presidential spokesperson Mukoni Ratshitanga said he could not comment on whether Mbeki would be attending.
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/ 18 January 2008
Director General in the Presidency Frank Chikane met representatives of political parties in Pretoria on Friday to discuss the subject of presidential pardons. The discussions at the Union Buildings dealt with applications from perpetrators of alleged political crimes committed before June 16 1999.
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/ 5 December 2007
What does President Thabo Mbeki like to do in his spare time? Ballroom dancing? Playing the piano? No, the man likes to work during leisure hours, says his spokesperson. As the ruling party’s national conference in Polokwane approaches members of the South African Cabinet certainly need ways to unwind.
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/ 21 November 2007
The leader of Zimbabwe’s opposition said on Wednesday that talks with his government over electoral reform have made progress, but added that ensuring implementation will be crucial. He also said the Movement for Democratic Change might shun next year’s election unless it is sure President Robert Mugabe will not rig it.
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/ 20 November 2007
President Thabo Mbeki’s office said an investigation into the arms deal had already found no wrongdoing on the part of government. This followed a media report based on an addendum to Mbeki’s online letter in his capacity as president of the African National Congress on November 16.
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/ 17 November 2007
Print Media South Africa (PMSA) is seeking an urgent meeting with Minister in the Presidency Essop Pahad after he threatened to withdraw government advertising from the Sunday Times. PMSA said it sought a meeting with the minister after he expressed his view that the government should pull its advertising from the weekly.
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/ 5 November 2007
Koni Media Holdings on Sunday denied government involvement in its bid to take over media and entertainment company Johncom. ”Koni Media strongly denies any involvement of the Presidency or any other government structures in its bid for a 100% stake in Johncom,” said group CEO Groovin Nchabeleng.