Rapule Tabane

South African diplomats have quietly begun to acknowledge that after the Commonwealth decision to continue to suspend Zimbabwe from its ranks, and the country’s subsequent decision to pull out of the organisation, Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe is likely to continue to cling to power.

Despite the efforts of South Africa and the Commonwealth Secretary General, Don McKinnon, the political and economic crisis in Zimbabwe is likely to overshadow all other issues at the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (Chogm) in Abuja, Nigeria, next week.

Few experiences have touched Zola Skweyiya as much as a visit to a remote village, Masoyi in Mpumalanga, where he found a whole community openly discriminating against three children who were suspected of being HIV-positive. But he believes that the battle to ease the hardships of the poor is being won.

"In the private sector they have a slogan: ‘The customer is always right.’ In home affairs we have an unwritten slogan that the customer is always wrong." This was the observation of the new Director General of the Department of Home Affairs, Barry Gilder, who this week ignored the common practice among senior government managers of hiding problems.

Next year’s general elections appear to be sowing divisions among South Africa’s social movements, which are unsure about how best to use the poll to protest against the government’s percieved lack of delivery. The Anti-Privatisation Forum (APF), which is still debating whether or not to field candidates for the 2004 poll, is currently trying to manage divided opinion.

In an attempt to deal with irregularities at the National Development Agency (NDA), Minister of Social Development Zola Skweyiya has suspended CEO Delani Mthembu and instituted a forensic investigation into charges of corruption and mismanagement.

The Policing, Security, Legal, Justice and Correctional Services (Poslec) sector education and training authority (Seta) is on a mission to deliver several projects to counteract initial skepticism about its work.

Sector education and training authorities (Setas) will now be required to enter into service level agreements with the Department of Labour to ensure that they perform optimally. This is one of the changes that will be brought about by the Skills Development Amendment Bill.

"She ignited the match that started the fire that resulted in all of us coming to this beautiful city." Those words, uttered by Hefer Commission evidence leader Kessie Naidu, were among the welter of arguments that eventually convinced the commission that journalist Ranjeni Munusamy would have to testify.

It went long into the night. First they met on the lush lawn outside City Lodge hotel in Bloemfontein. Mo Shaik, with his Sherlock Holmes-type pipe; Mac Maharaj, with his briefcase; and Yunus Shaik, with his cellphone. But when it came to the crunch, Mo Shaik and Mac Maharaj backed out of testifying, opting to be given time to obtain documents before they could give evidence.

Why is the ANC Youth League calling for Director of Public Prosecutions Bulelani Ngcuka to clear Zuma when he has already said that he is not going to prosecute him? Rapule Tabane speaks to ANC Youth League president Malusi Gigaba about the organisation’s campaign to clear Deputy President Jacob Zuma’s name

As South Africans lose interest in politics, the Independent Electoral Commission (IEC) faces the unenviable task of maintaining popular excitement about national and provincial elections. IEC deputy electoral officer Mosotho Moepya says lack of interest in voting is to be expected as South Africa’s democracy matures.

About 40 000 taxpayers continue to mislead the South African Revenue Service (Sars) about their income from investments, leading to a loss of R1,2-billion a year in potential revenue from taxes. But the department is about to crack down on them.

Senior Pan Africanist Congress members, disillusioned with the organisation’s president, Motsoko Pheko, have called an All Africanist Conference in Cape Town. The meeting is a likely prelude to their breaking away from the PAC and forming a new party.

Royalty from Africa and Europe will join government ministers ambassadors and business executives in Phokeng this weekend for the enthronement of Bafokeng King Leruo Tshekedi Molotlegi. He will be the 36th king of the Bafokeng tribe.

Rapule Tabane speaks to Gauteng Premier Mbhazima Shilowa about governance, ANC policy and the role of legislatures.

Airforce One hits the tarmac at Waterkloof airbase next Tuesday, the first pulpit on United States President George Bush’s evangelical five-stop African junket — his second trip to the continent, his first to South Africa.
<li><a class=’standardtextsmall’ href="http://www.mg.co.za/Content/l3.asp?ao=16678">Protests planned for Bush visit</a>

United States soldiers have proudly spray painted the words "widow makers" across the huge army tank that guards the Baghdad zoo.

Eskom’s decision to write off electricity arrears of R1,4-billion to selected Gauteng townships has sparked a race dilemma for Gauteng Premier Mbhazima Shilowa.

The New Partnership for Africa’s Development (Nepad) is claiming much attention as the African Union prepares to celebrate its first anniversary in less than two months. The relationship between the two is generating some thorny questions, observers say.

The government this week filled crucial portfolios when it appointed directors general for the departments of home affairs and social development. But three other departments are still without directors general, highlighting serious problems in the top ranks of the civil service.